Deep issues: Why injury-riddled Lakers are struggling

Besides Ham's comments, the team is struggling for these major reasons:

Multiple injuries at key positions

Injuries have taken their toll as the Lakers are without key rotation pieces Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura. Vanderbilt has yet to play this season. 

To make matters worse, franchise centerpiece Anthony Davis appeared to injure his hip against the Miami Heat on Monday and is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game.

Vincent and Hachimura are above-average defenders while Vanderbilt is easily the team's best perimeter defender. The depth the Lakers acquired in the offseason has already disappeared, leading coach Darvin Ham to lean on Davis (36.9 minutes per game) and LeBron James (35) even more.

Help is on the way, as Hachimura is set to return from a concussion suffered against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 29. His scoring and defensive versatility have been sorely missed and his presence should help alleviate pressure on James.

With Davis potentially missing time and Vincent and Vanderbilt still weeks away from returning to action, though, the Lakers face a difficult challenge ahead.

Defensive issues with Russell/Reaves backcourt

In today's NBA, it's nearly impossible to have a starting backcourt in which both players are defensive liabilities. 

D'Angelo Russell's defensive shortcomings are well known, but the surprise this season is Austin Reaves' poor defense. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers were -2.5 points per 100 possessions better last season on defense with Reaves on the floor, but this season, that number is +14.6.

The season is still young and statistics are still subject to wild swings, but the eye test backs this up. Reaves lacks the athleticism to stay in front of quicker guards, so consequently, the Lakers have tried to match him up with forwards, who have overpowered him to the basket.

The Lakers are 11th in defense overall, but when Russell and Reaves share the court, they post a miserable 123.8 defensive rating (30th in the NBA).

Starting games with this level of defensive inadequacy is a recipe for disaster. The Lakers often find themselves playing from behind because of it. 

Lack of shotmaking from role players

The adage of "it's a make-or-miss league" rings true for the Lakers, whose supporting cast is simply missing too many open shots generated by James. Monday night's loss against the Heat was the perfect example of this issue.

In the final seconds, with the Lakers trailing by one, James drove to the basket, causing the defense to collapse. He found forward Cam Reddish open for a corner three, but Reddish missed the shot and the Lakers went on to lose, 108-107.

The Lakers are 29th in three-point percentage and 24th in three-point attempts. Three-point shotmaking is key for a team whose star players are best around the rim. If defenders don't respect a team's three-point shooters, they can sag off them, float closer to the paint and be in a better position to contest shots. 

This has directly affected Los Angeles' overall offense. The Lakers are ranked 25th in offensive rating, an absurd spot for a team that has two superstars. Los Angeles must improve these numbers to maximize the impact of James and Davis and snap out of their early slump.