Lakers' LeBron James drops Clippers truth bomb after ugly loss
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Following a 116-102 loss to the Clippers, and LeBron James’ eye-opening postgame comments, the Los Angeles Lakers’ vibes are not great right now. The previous issues concerning this team remain and are preventing NBA fans from believing that a truly successful 2024-25 season is attainable. But all the focus should not be on what the Purple and Gold did wrong on Sunday night.
The Los Angeles Clippers (24-17) deserve their due for the relative ease in which they handled their supposed “big brother.” James went a step further than merely crediting them after their strong effort. He assigned the squad stacks of praise while also highlighting some of the Lakers’ shortcomings.
“It’s a great team, very well coached, Hall of Famers, great complimentary players,” James told the media, per Spectrum SportsNet. “When you’re playing against a great team, you got to limit your mistakes, offensively and defensively, cause they make you pay and I think they did that tonight.”
"When you're playing against a great team, you got to limit your mistakes, offensively and defensively, cause they make you pay and I think they did that tonight."
-LeBron James recaps tonight's loss in Inglewood. pic.twitter.com/hUZ1BrhkNg
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 20, 2025
Clippers continue to make noise in the West
It is premature to slap the “great” label on the Clippers, but their ceiling appears to be considerably higher than many people anticipated before the start of the campaign. Norman Powell is having a career year, posting an All-Star caliber 23.7 points on 49.2 percent shooting overall and 45.2 percent shooting on 3-point attempts. Ivica Zubac is also raising his level of play, exuding a strong inside presence that consisted of 21 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks versus the Lakers. James Harden is distributing 8.0 assists a night, finding a way to contribute despite a brutal offensive showing this year.
And oh yeah, Kawhi Leonard is back in the mix. The two-time NBA Finals MVP posted another productive outing, scoring 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting in 24 minutes. He narrowly missed out on becoming the fourth Clippers player to record 20 points in the victory. Head coach Ty Lue, who won a championship with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, is once again proving why he is one of the best leaders in the league today.
The Clips are a balanced and dangerous team that warrants monitoring during the second half of the season. Their strengths magnify the Lakers’ present weaknesses.
Lakers still have much work to do
JJ Redick’s group must establish itself on the defensive end if it is going to consistently embody its best form. Unless general manager Rob Pelinka makes a worthwhile move ahead of the trade deadline, LA’s 3-point shooting limitations are seemingly here to stay. James and Anthony Davis are obviously still game-breakers, but they need to maximize the talents of those around them.
Active hands and transition basketball can propel the Lakers forward. Winning the turnover battle is essential, and that did not happen on Sunday in the Intuit Dome. They committed 17 turnovers and allowed the Clippers to shoot nearly 53 percent from the field. James’ 25 points, 11 assists and three steals were not enough to put the Lakers in a position to genuinely threaten their opponent.
It has been said ad nauseam over the last two years, but something needs to change. This ongoing see-saw ride is making the fan base queasy. If it does not cease, Los Angeles will fail to beat the upper-tier competition when it matters most. A Tuesday night home matchup versus the Washington Wizards should ideally get the Lakers (22-18) back on their feet.
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