LeBron James: ‘A lot’ needs to change after Lakers’ 44-point loss to 76ers
PHILADELPHIA — On the night when he became the NBA’s all-time combined minutes leader for the regular season and playoffs, LeBron James and the Lakers were part of another piece of history – one they would have preferred not to make.
The Lakers’ 138-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday – a 44-point margin – was not only tied for the team’s fifth-worst loss in franchise history but was also the worst margin of defeat in James’ 21-season NBA career.
The loss dropped the Lakers to 10-8 on the season and 3-6 on the road entering Wednesday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, with a game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City the following night.
“What needs to change in order for that not to happen again?” James said, repeating a question asked by a reporter. “Um, a lot.”
When asked if there were any particular areas the Lakers needed to focus on, James responded: “No. A lot.”
The 76ers made a season-best 22 3-pointers on 46 attempts (47.8%), while the Lakers were just 7 for 25 from behind the arc.
Anthony Davis, anticipating a thorough film session on Tuesday, acknowledged it’s challenging to make an assessment since several key rotation players – Jared Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish – have been sidelined.
Reddish was listed as probable on the team’s injury report for the game against the Pistons after missing the previous three because of a strained left groin.
“It’s hard to still kinda have an identity of who we are as a team or what we’re going to be or what we’re capable of,” Davis said. “We know that we’re a good team. It’s like even when you start finding that rhythm, one of us goes down and it’s just kinda hard to finish rotations, who we are, things like that. It’s hard to say what needs to change or what can get better without seeing our entire team.”
Coach Darvin Ham mentioned competitive spirit when responding to questions about what could have been better against the 76ers. Even with the injuries, that’s something that can’t dip.
“There’s an opportunity for us to talk about it,” Davis said. “And look at it. This is what we can’t have. But you have to quickly flush it because we have another one on Wednesday, right? We can’t harp on it too long. It’s good to watch the film and see what we can get better at on both ends. We’ve got to look at it, embrace it, own it. Guys don’t take it [personally] for whatever’s said in the film and then move on from it.”
That can be easier said than done, especially if players take the criticisms during film sessions too personally.
“I know that in the course of the game, we’ve challenged each other,” Davis said. “If someone’s not playing well or someone is, what’s the word, BS-ing I guess, we’ve been calling people out. And I don’t think no one took it personal.
“But obviously in the course of the game, you’ve got to forget about it and just go play. And when you don’t have to go anywhere and you’re sitting there and watching film, it could be a little different. It’s also in front of the entire team, the coaching staff. So I don’t know. I don’t think we have guys who probably take it [personally]. But if they do, that’s probably another conversation.”
When asked how a team should react from a historic loss like the one the Lakers suffered, James kept his answer brief, as he did for most of his postgame media session.
“I don’t know how a team [should],” he said. “I can only speak for myself ... I don’t like it.
LAKERS AT PISTONS: Wednesday, 4 p.m.
: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
TV/radio: Spectrum SportsNet, 710 AM
