The Los Angeles Lakers endured a difficult 109-80 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their most recent NBA regular season matchup, with LeBron James pointing to the team’s offensive struggles as their primary concern.
The Lakers’ 80-point performance marked their worst offensive output of the season. D’Angelo Russell was the only player to reach 20 points, while James finished with just 10 and Anthony Davis added 12.
For LeBron, the offensive issues stem from the team’s focus on improving their defense. “We’re just not good offensively right now,” James said via Spectrum SportsNet. “I think we spent so much time on trying to get our defense corrected that our offense just took a toll and took a back seat to that. We’re not great offensively right now.”
James also highlighted that the offensive struggles are widespread, not limited to one specific area. “Everything. It’s not just one area, but definitely spacing,” James continued. “Guys have been on top of each other. We’re not getting our running habits as we were early on. But it’s a little bit of everything. It’s not just one thing.”
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center. (David Berding/Getty Images)
LeBron optimistic about Lakers’ offensive improvement
Despite the offensive woes, LeBron remains confident that the Lakers can improve, much like they did when they worked to fix their defensive issues earlier in the season.
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“Watching the film and seeing ways we can be better,” James explained. “We did that a lot when we wanted our defense to get corrected and we corrected it. So we’ll spend a little bit more time on offensive things too.”
LeBron’s recent shooting struggles
Over the last six games, James has struggled offensively, scoring more than 20 points in just one of those contests—something rarely seen from the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. In the last four games, he has failed to make a single 3-pointer, going 0-for-19 from beyond the arc. Recently, LeBron James sent a clear message to Lakers fans amid three-point shooting struggles.
Over the last six games, James is averaging just 16.8 points per game on 39.8% shooting from the field and 10% from 3-point range. He acknowledged feeling out of rhythm in recent games. “Just everything,” LeBron said. “It’s rhythm. I’ve just felt out of rhythm the last three or four games.”
The Lakers’ struggles on offense have been a major talking point, but with LeBron’s leadership and optimism, the team remains hopeful that their shooting and overall offensive game will improve as the season progresses.
