The Los Angeles Lakers are in deep trouble.
Game 5 was an absolute slaughter by the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers lost 85-115; even scoring only 10 points in the second quarter.
Losing superstar big man Anthony Davis has hurt the defending champs.
The Lakers have scored 78 points in the last 4 quarters without Anthony Davis. pic.twitter.com/j95vnqyFC3
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 2, 2021
They looked out of sync without him on the court.
We don’t know the timetable of Davis’ injury.
He tried warming up, but it did not look good.
The injury can possible keep him out for weeks.
This can be a problem as the Lakers are on the verge of being eliminated.
The Suns dominated the Lakers in Game 5 😤 pic.twitter.com/DVhkNJPuni
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 2, 2021
After winning the title last season, the Lakers might be out in the first round.
There are a few players who need to step up before it is too late.
3. Marc Gasol
The big men of the Lakers need to help soften the blow of the Davis injury.
Andre Drummond was alright last game, getting 13 rebounds.
However, Marc Gasol has looked rough in this series.
He looks too slow to be on the court and have to deal with Chris Paul pick and rolls.
Gasol is on the last legs of his NBA career.
This series might be the end.
Other than hitting the occasional pick and pop three, Gasol has been irrelevant.
There is a chance Gasol is out of the rotation for Game 6.
2. Dennis Schroder
Dennis Schroder might have had the worst game in his basketball life.
He had a big donut in the scoring column going 0-9 from the field.
Dennis Schroder:
— 0 points
— 1 assist
— 0-9 shooting
— 0-4 from three
— 84 million dollars turned downHe is the first Laker to go scoreless in a playoff game while attempting 9+ shots since the franchise moved to LA. pic.twitter.com/XbVHD3nVCT
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 2, 2021
Schroder looked scared to shoot in Game 5, which has been the opposite throughout his career.
With Davis out, he must take over some of that scoring load.
However, he went the complete opposite way.
His play was embarrassing for someone who believes that they are worth $100 million.
For Game 6, he must step up and play aggressive.
He cannot be timid on the offensive end with no Davis and LeBron James being older.
He needs to give LeBron a rest.
If there is a repeat performance from Game 5 into Game 6, then the Lakers will be done.
1. LeBron James
The best player on the planet, LeBron James, also needs to play better.
There needs to be more aggressiveness from James.
He came out shooting, but then it stopped.
You have to give credit to the Suns defense, but James should still be able to dominate.
He simply did not control any aspect of the game.
He seemed off like he has never been before.
Perhaps father time is finally on his tail.
We cannot be sure.
We do know his track record in these types of games.
When LeBron’s back is against the wall, he tends to respond in spectacular fashion.
LeBron James in elimination games since the 2011 Finals
12-4 Record
▫️36.5 PPG
▫️11.5 RPG
▫️7.6 APG
▫️1.2 BPG
▫️1.8 SPGOn
▫️52% FG (205/395)
▫️40% 3PT (38/96)
▫️73% FT (122/167)
▫️62% TS pic.twitter.com/3vcT612o3t— ALL ICONIC SPORTS (@ALLICONICSPORTS) June 2, 2021
Game 5 was a bad game for the Lakers all around.
However, James is supposed to dictate these games as the best player on the floor, and in the world.
The Suns have a great chance of taking down the defending champions.
James must galvanize the troops and go into battle in Game 6.
The Lakers must win two more games, but they have to take it one game at a time.
NEXT: How Anthony Davis Can Be Better For The Lakers In Game 2
