Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James did not mince words following their fourth straight loss — 127-113 — to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, January 5, at Crypto.com arena.
“We just suck right now,” James told reporters bluntly.
The Lakers allowed the Grizzlies, who came into the building last in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, to hit a season-high 23 3-pointers.
After a tied game through three quarters, the Grizzlies just outhustled the Lakers and ran them to the ground in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers did not register any fastbreak or second-chance points in the final 12 minutes. The Grizzlies had a combined 10 points in those categories.
James finished led the Lakers with 32 points and seven assists while Anthony Davis added 31 on 13-of-22 shooting. Austin Reaves dished out a career-best 12 assists to go along with his 19 points in his second straight start.
The Lakers’ defense was the culprit.
Memphis shot 54% from the field and 51% from 3.
The Lakers slipped to 3-10 since winning the In-Season Tournament title.
“That was just two games, though,” James said of their solid play to win that mid-season side event. “That was a small sample. Everybody is getting so cracked up about Vegas, keep bringing up Vegas. It was two games. We took care of that business … but that was really just two games.”
With their season spiraling, the 39-year-old James plans to navigate this rough patch of their season the same way he did for the last 21 years.
“I show up to work, punch my clock every day, stay positive and go out and try to lead out on the floor, inspire on the floor,” James said.
Bob Myers Calls for Lakers to Make Move if Losing Continues
Former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers pushed for the Lakers’ front office to make a move if they are still below .500 before the February 8 trade deadline.
“Look, with LeBron [James], it’s amazing how well he’s playing,” Pelinka said on NBA Countdown on January 3. “If you’re the GM, if you’re Rob [Pelinka], you cannot go into the deadline, and say, ‘Yeah, we’re 25 and 26. And we’re good.’ You won’t, they won’t. They just can’t do it. He won’t let him, by the way. He’s good at that.”
Friday’s loss to Memphis pushed the Lakers out of the play-in picture in the West with a 17-19 record.
They have 16 games left before the trade deadline to right the ship or else, big changes could be coming.
Lakers Don’t Have Enough to Trade for Dejounte Murray
The Lakers do not have enough trade assets to pursue Atlanta Hawks two-way star Dejounte Murray, according to TNT/Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
“Sources relate to me that teams that have reached out to check on the availability of Dejounte Murray. Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers are a few of the teams out of many,” Haynes reported on January 5. “Any type of deal centered around Dejounte Murray, you would think Austin Reaves will be a part of that and Rui Hachimura will probably be in it. And for Atlanta, that just wouldn’t be enough. So Lakers, they have answers but the problem is they need more pieces that are going to be attractive for the Atlanta Hawks.”
The Lakers are limited in draft capital with only their 2029 or 2030 first-round pick available for an in-season trade. They could only expand their draft capital after the next NBA Draft.