Jeff Teague did not hold back when asked about the Los Angeles Lakers title chances. LeBron James' team has shown some fatal flaws in its first nine games. And, aside from hiring JJ Redick as head coach, Los Angeles largely stood pact over the offseason with its current roster. A former NBA All-Star, Teague broke down on the Club 520 podcast the main issues with the Lakers roster, particularly regarding D'Angelo Russell and the supporting cast.
“I don't like the way the roster is set up with D'Angelo Russell on that team. Rui Hachimura is a good player. I like him on that team but don't like him as a focal point and starter. I like him off the bench getting buckets. They just need some more solid role players. Maybe some more veterans or I don't know. For now, I don't like the Lakers.”
The Lakers have had an uneven start
After their stellar first three games, the Lakers have come crashing back down to earth since. Los Angeles has lost four out of their past five games, including an ugly recent loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite these struggles, the two stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, have lived up to their billing this season. The soon-to-be 40-year-old is averaging an efficient 23.7 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game. Similarly, “AD” has looked like an MVP candidate, averaging 32.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per contest.
Unfortunately, the Lakers' supporting cast has been up-and-down over these first nine games—particularly D'Angelo Russell, who was benched against the Sixers last night. The point guard is putting up his lowest career point total and only shooting 40% from the field and 30% from three.
While this is a tough break for Russell, moving him to the bench makes sense. The backcourt of D'Angelo and Austin Reaves has never been elite defensively, and the Lakers have struggled significantly on that side of the floor. Los Angeles ranks 23rd overall in team defensive efficiency.
Going forward, JJ Redick's team has two straight games against the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies before heading to San Antonio to start their NBA Cup title defense. With teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns off to stellar starts, the Western Conference seems more stacked than ever. Currently sitting seventh in the West, the Lakers will need to overcome their recent woes to ensure they don't have to go through the Play-In tournament for the third straight year.
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