The Lakers have a toughness problem, and LeBron James knows it.
Detroit’s more physical Pistons team pushed the Lakers around Monday night, snatching a 117-114 win that exposed one of LA’s biggest weaknesses. The Pistons grabbed 12 steals, blocked 5 shots, and forced 20 turnovers – turning those mistakes into 28 easy points.
“We have to match physicality with physicality,” LeBron said after the game. It’s a surprising admission from someone built like an NFL tight end.
The numbers tell the story. Detroit got off 18 more shots than the Lakers (92 to 74), basically bullying their way to extra possessions all night long.
LeBron, who’s never shied away from contact in his 21-year career, seemed frustrated by his team’s inability to handle the rough stuff. “I’m a football player so I don’t mind physicality,” he said. “But we have to do it as a team.”
The stats paint a pretty ugly picture of the Lakers’ softness:
* 27th in rebounds
* 28th in points allowed in the paint
* 21st in box-outs
* 27th in recovering loose balls on offense
That last one really hurts – it means they’re basically giving up on plays where a little extra effort could mean another scoring chance.
The Lakers’ front office seems to know they need help. They’re reportedly looking to trade for some muscle before the February 6 deadline, with physical centers Jonas Valanciunas and Robert Williams III on their radar.
Adding a bruiser next to Anthony Davis might help, but the team’s identity crisis runs deeper. As LeBron put it: “It’s not something you can learn, you can’t learn to be more physical.”
For a team with championship hopes, that’s a really tough problem to solve.
