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Back at .500 at 16-16 following a 108-88 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made it sound like he knows as much about his team’s potential now as he did when it was 0-0 to start the season.
“We don’t know,” James said. “We have no idea what this team can be.”
After seeing his game-high 34 points go to waste — his eighth 30-point performance in L.A.’s past 12 games — the 19-year veteran rattled off the setbacks the Lakers have suffered.
There were the dozen games he missed. The injuries that sidelined Trevor Ariza for the first 30 games and have kept Kendrick Nunn out of the lineup completely thus far. Throw in Anthony Davis’ MCL sprain that is expected to cause him to miss at least a month and the four Lakers, and head coach Frank Vogel, missing because of health and safety protocols and it didn’t paint a pretty picture for one of the presumptive favorites coming into the season.
“So how can we really fully assess what we have when we haven’t been whole? I can’t remember the last time we played the same starting lineup and had the same rotation coming off the bench,” James said. “It’s been a long time. So, it’s hard to assess that.”
Indeed, L.A. trotted out its 17th different starting lineup of the season against the Suns, which is the most in the league. Meaning, on average, the Lakers haven’t managed to go more than two games straight this year before needing to change things up.
The Lakers built an early 10-point lead against the Suns (25-5), who moved past the Golden State Warriors for the best record in the NBA with the win, but lost control in the second half when Phoenix outscored L.A. 31-21 in the third and went up by as many as 22 in the fourth.
“Obviously, they are at full strength and we’re not, so it’s hard to see where we’re at as a team,” James said.
James himself appeared to avoid serious injury when he came down on the right foot of the Suns’ Jae Crowder in the third quarter. He remained in the game but…
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Source : espn
