Getty Images LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball as Luka Doncic.
The Los Angeles Lakers were overwhelmed in the second half of their Christmas Day matchup with the Dallas Mavericks and LeBron James is worried his squad might be digging too big of a hole to get out of.
The Lakers have shown resilience at times this season after falling behind but saw their record move to 13-20 after losing to the Mavs 124-115 in the Christmas Day showcase spot. The Lakers held a double-digit lead at the half but that was quickly erased by Dallas, who outscored LA 51-21 in the third quarter.
The Lakers are trying to hold down the fort with Anthony Davis out of the lineup but James has found it difficult to stay optimistic amid his team’s struggles.
“I think I look at it that way,” James said when asked if the Lakers’ resiliency gives him faith that they can turn it around. “I look at it the other way too, like, how many times are you going to try to dig yourselves out until it’s too much dirt on you?”
The Lakers are currently the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference and 4.5 games behind the No. 8 seed Dallas.
James Still Enjoying Playing Despite Losing
Individually, James has been on a tear, scoring 30 or more in his last seven games. Against the Mavericks, James posted 38 points on 13-of-23 shooting, adding six rebounds and five assists.
James admitted there’s some frustration but the 37-year-old superstar is happy to still be on the court.
“At the end of the day, I love to play the game of basketball,” James said. “I’m still enjoying going out there and playing in front of fans, either at home or on the road. And I’m just trying to control what I can control. I show up, try to lead these guys and try to lead to victories and obviously there’s been times when it’s been frustrating. There’s been times that I’ve been happy. There’s been times where I’ve been like, ‘OK, we can do better here,’ or whatever the case may be. But I always try to stay even keeled.”
Lakers Can’t Replicate Anthony Davis’ Contributions
The Lakers are not a team built around depth or length and with Davis out of the lineup, they are at a severe disadvantage. The former top pick was averaging 27.4 points and 12.1 rebounds this season, on top of being an intimidating presence on the defensive side of the ball. James pulled no punches when it came to the Lakers’ struggles replacing him.
“Reality is, without AD, we lose a lot of length which we don’t have already,” James said. “So we have to make up in ways that, without AD, is very difficult, very challenging. So, I think at one point we had a lineup of I think [Austin Reaves] was the tallest guy on the court.
“So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out [that Davis is sorely missed].”
Davis is dealing with a stress injury in his foot and his timeline for a return is still murky. He could return in January after some additional rest but he’ll be reevaluated in early January.