The Los Angeles Lakers are in a rut-and it’s not just about missed shots or bad luck. After a strong 15-4 start to the season, they’ve dropped 11 of their last 20 games, and the cracks are starting to show. What once looked like a team with championship aspirations now looks like a group struggling to find its identity on both ends of the floor.
Let’s start with the obvious: the Lakers’ weaknesses are no longer secrets. Opponents are attacking their lack of athleticism, exposing their shaky perimeter defense, and daring them to beat them from beyond the arc.
The result? A team that’s struggling to keep pace in a league that thrives on spacing, speed, and shooting.
But it’s not just about Xs and Os. There’s a growing sense that the chemistry just isn’t there. Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins didn’t hold back when he called out the Lakers for looking more like a collection of individuals than a cohesive unit.
“That’s not a team, that’s a bunch of individuals,” Perkins said. “I’m willing to bet everything I have that there’s not a group chat with the Lakers… no team dinners on the road.
That’s just showing up, doing your job, and going your own way. And that’s how they perform on the floor.”
That’s a bold statement, but it’s hard to argue with what we’re seeing. On defense, the Lakers have been one of the worst teams in the league.
They currently rank 26th in defensive rating and in opponents’ points off turnovers per game-two metrics that speak volumes about effort, communication, and trust. When a team is giving up transition buckets and failing to rotate on defense, it’s often a sign of deeper issues than just poor execution.
During this 20-game stretch, the Lakers have allowed at least 120 points in 10 games, and four times they’ve surrendered 130 or more. That’s not just a bad night here or there-that’s a pattern. And it’s one that suggests the problems are systemic, not situational.
Now comes the real test. Nine of their next 10 games are on the road, including a grueling eight-game trip that tips off Tuesday.
There’s no home-court cushion, no extra rest days, no margin for error. If the Lakers are going to turn this around, they’ll have to do it the hard way-by finding a way to reconnect, recommit, and rediscover the defensive grit and offensive rhythm that made them look like contenders early in the season.
There’s still time. But the clock is ticking.