The Los Angeles Lakers aren't exactly in a bad spot; entering their Thursday night clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder with an 11-8 record fresh off a blowout victory over the Detroit Pistons, the Lakers looked like a much different team than the one that was on the receiving end of a 138-94 thwacking from the Philadelphia 76ers. However, some of the Lakers' past demons came back to haunt them once more as they suffered yet another double-digit loss, this time a 133-110 defeat against the Thunder.
At this point, the Lakers can afford to be patient, as they have only played around a quarter of the regular season. However, they will have to right the ship sooner than later, especially when LeBron James himself doesn't really know which identity the team can lean on in times of adversity.
Nevertheless, Lakers guard Austin Reaves has some insights on what they must do so they could avoid falling into bad habits and falling into the same old early-season rut that they had to overcome last season.
Austin Reaves speaks out
“You're gonna have to make multiple efforts on the defensive end, scramble more than usual. We have to be better. We'll learn from what we didn't do good,” Reaves told reporters after the Lakers' defeat, per Spectrum SportsNet.
At the very least, Austin Reaves is also taking accountability for his personal shortcomings amid the Lakers' struggles in spacing the floor. Currently, the Lakers rank dead last in the league in made threes per game and 29th in percentage, reminiscent of the way they struggled to begin last season.
“I just haven't shot the ball well. I like the shots that I got, shooting them confidently, just hasn't went in,” Reaves added.
But at the end of the day, the Lakers guard is confident that they can bounce back, starting with their battle against the nascent Houston Rockets on Saturday night.
“I think we're in a good spot. Obviously we have some things we need to work on and things that we do well so we like where we're at. […] We got a decent record right now, wish it was better but with the way we've been shooting the ball, it could be worse.”
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