For the vast majority of the regular season, it was clear that the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the best teams in the league. They were beating squads like the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, which made people think that they were shoe-ins for the NBA finals and maybe even a title on the side. Since entering the Orlando, Florida bubble, the Lakers have guaranteed themselves first-place in the Western Conference, however, they have struggled throughout the majority of their games.
A great example of this was last night as the Lakers lost to the surging Indiana Pacers. LeBron scored 31 points although Anthony Davis was a shell of himself as he only scored 8. It was yet another reminder of the Lakers' struggles thus far. After the game, LeBron spoke to reporters about the team and noted that he can't put his finger on exactly why the team is playing poorly.
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“This is a different situation than any situation I’ve been in so it’s kind of hard to say, ‘Okay, well the playoffs is right around the corner, this is where we’re going to be.’ We’re literally in a — we’re in a bubble — it’s kind of hard to explain,” James said.
Perhaps one could make the argument that the Lakers aren't playing well because as of right now, they have nothing to gain. However, if they continue to play like this in the first round of the playoffs, an upset could be on the horizon.
[Via]