Los Angeles Lakers need LeBron James, Luka Doncic and others to learn from humiliating loss to OKC Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the OKC Thunder in their first game of the season.

The Los Angeles Lakers trailed by more than 30 points at halftime against the Oklahoma City Thunder and looked little like the championship-caliber teams we’ve seen before.

In a brutal performance, the Lakers were unable to break through the Thunder’s stifling defense and ultimately lost 92-121. Making matters worse was the weak defense that night.

The Lakers may reconsider their stance on trading Austin Reaves after tonight’s poor performance. But if that happens, they’ll end up like Nico Harrison and need to trade Luka Doncic as well.

But if the Lakers recognize the three lessons from tonight’s beating, then the loss to the defending champions could be the learning experience the Lakers need to address the gaps on their roster.

Before tonight’s game, there was a lot of talk about the Los Angeles Lakers and whether they still needed LeBron James after their strong start to the season.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves played well together, so many felt that James could be a difficult player to adjust to upon his return.

However, the loss to the Thunder showed that the Lakers lack the third outlet and strong driving force that LeBron excels at. Perhaps this defeat might show fans just how ridiculous that story is.

James is one of the most intelligent players in the NBA and can adapt to any situation. Additionally, James believes in Reaves and Doncic and will help them in any way possible.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves have both averaged over 30.0 points per game since the start of the season. However, these two star players struggled to shoot the ball, hurting the Lakers.

Luka Doncic scored 19 points on 7-for-20 shooting, while Austin Reeves was held to just 13 points on 4-for-12 shooting from the field.

The Lakers had to rely on Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht to reach double-digit scoring. If that happens, the Lakers are more likely to lose the game than win it.

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled on the defensive end of the court for years. Gone are the days when the Lakers were one of the NBA’s premier teams.

Losing Anthony Davis was perhaps the biggest blow the team’s defense has taken in recent years. He was a big man with the potential to be Defensive Player of the Year when healthy.

But if the Lakers want to improve defensively, they could learn from the OKC Thunder. The Thunder have big players, but their defensive strength comes from their performance.

If the Lakers want to make a serious championship shot, they’ll need to emulate the Thunder’s hustle, speed and defensive effort.