Paul Pierce firmly believes the Los Angeles Lakers’ inconsistent performances could end up costing them a lot amid their bid to make the playoffs this 2023-24 season.
The NBA legend said as much ahead of the Lakers’ Saturday showdown with the Golden State Warriors.
Paul Pierce Reveals Los Angeles Lakers’ Problem
In the latest episode of the KG Certified Podcast, Kevin Garnett and Pierce discussed the upcoming Warriors-Lakers game. The two made their picks on who will win the game, and unsurprisingly, The Truth had the Dubs taking the W.
While Pierce noted that he’s picking the Warriors because they really need the victory and will enter the game way hungrier, he also emphasized how the Lakers’ recent performances have concerned him.
According to the Boston Celtics icon, it’s just hard to understand the Lakers. When they are clicking, they can beat the current top dogs in the league. But when they are not, they lose to teams that they were supposed to easily handle.
“This is a big game. I don’t know who the Lakers are sometimes. They’ll beat a good team then lose to a team they’re supposed to beat. That’s just how their season has been. Why do you think they’re in the 9th-10th slot bro,” Pierce told Garnett.
The Lakers have won six of their last 10 games, and they are actually on the rise amid their attempt to get out of play-in contention. Aside from their two losses against the Sacramento Kings in the last five games, they actually did pretty well after beating top teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
With that being said, Pierce’s take is definitely surprising.
Does Paul Pierce Make a Good Point About LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers?
Nonetheless, looking at the Los Angeles Lakers’ performances in the past couple of months, what Paul Pierce said might have some merit.
For one, in their recent showdown against the Washington Wizards, Kyle Kuzma and Co. pushed LeBron James and the rest of the Purple and Gold to the brink in an OT battle. Darvin Ham’s men ended up winning 134-131, but it wasn’t pretty.
Going back a little bit further in late January, the Lakers actually lost back-to-back games against the struggling Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets.
For a team with playoff and title aspirations, it’s definitely a bad sign to see them have a hard time closing against teams that are rated lower than them.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow me on Twitter at @BeatKit22 and follow us @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional sports, click here!
