The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t keep up the pace.
As has happened for most of the season and Darvin Ham’s tenure in charge of the team, they continue to alternate great efforts with subpar ones.
They got off to a strong start against the Sacramento Kings, but they couldn’t keep their foot on the gas and wound up losing by double-digits in a game they were favored by almost three points.
That’s why former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins believes it’s time to put the “contenders are worried about the Lakers” narrative to rest.
Talking on “First Take,” Perkins claimed that none of the teams in the playoff picture or even in the Play-In Tournament are worried about the Lakers, nor should they be.
.@KendrickPerkins says the Lakers are NOT a threat in the Western Conference 🫣
"[No one] is worried about the Los Angeles Lakers." pic.twitter.com/E0UXbYO6yk
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 7, 2024
He pointed out that Ham doesn’t even seem to know which lineups to deploy on a nightly basis, adding that the team simply isn’t good enough to compete at a high level.
He believes the Lakers just need to focus on getting through the season and then figure out which star to trade for in the summer, with Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell as potential targets.
The Lakers have never been four or more games over .500 with Ham as their coach, and he might not be the guy they need to get back to the mountaintop.
You never know what version of them you’re going to get night in and night out, and those teams rarely fare well in the playoffs.
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