The Los Angeles Lakers have continued to struggle without their superstar LeBron James, who got injured in the third period of their Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors. Since his absence, Luke Walton's squad have lost five of their last six games and are currently on a three-game losing streak.
The Lakers are also missing the services of veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who also got injured against the Dubs, and second leading scorer Kyle Kuzma, who hurt his back during the team's game with the Oklahoma City Thunder a few days ago.
Following the Lakers' 108-86 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Walton called out the team, especially Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.
Asked by @LakersReporter about Ingram and Ball, coach Luke Walton says the Lakers need more “passion and fire.” pic.twitter.com/RZbX6LyMHm
— Bill Oram (@billoram) January 6, 2019
Since the absence of James, Rondo, and Kuzma, the Lakers have been struggling on both ends of the floor. During their three-game losing streak, the team has allowed their opponents to score an average of 111.3 points per game. The Lakers are losing by an average of 12 points during that span.
Tyson Chandler, the team's back up center, seems to agree with Walton.
Tyson Chandler: "I don’t think right now we’re competing hard enough with the situation that we’re in."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) January 7, 2019
Ingram, who is seen by many as a potential second star to LeBron, has struggled during the losing skid, shooting 13-of-68 from the field. Ball, the second overall pick of last year's draft, has only shot the ball 17 times the past three games.
Despite the struggles of their youngsters, the Lakers have been getting consistent production from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is averaging 16 points on close to 45 percent shooting during LeBron's absence.
While Los Angeles could get Kuzma back when they face the Dallas Mavericks, there's still no timetable for James' return while Rondo is still expected to miss two to three weeks.
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