Sky isn't falling: Why panic over recent struggles of LeBron James, Lakers is overblown

On the surface, LeBron James and the Lakers appear to be in free fall, leaving many fans and analysts alike predicting more challenging times ahead. The team has dropped five of its last seven games, slipping to 12-9 and eighth in the Western Conference standings. James, in particular, has been mired in an uncharacteristic slump, going 0-of-19 from three over his previous four games and failing to shoot above 45% from the field in six straight outings. 

However, a closer look reveals this might just be a temporary rough patch — an inevitable blip in the grind of a long season.

Let’s break down the Lakers’ last seven games. 

On Nov. 21, they fell to the surging Orlando Magic, 119-118, after Franz Wagner sank a game-winning three-pointer from well beyond the arc — a surprising dagger from a player shooting just 33.8% from deep this year, with only four total crunch-time threes across this season and last. 

The Lakers followed that heartbreak with a blowout loss to the Nuggets (127-102), their toughest matchup in the league, and another decisive defeat against the Suns (127-100). 

They bounced back with a convincing win over the Spurs on Nov. 27 but lost a close contest to the Thunder, 101-93. In that game, starting point guard Austin Reaves went down with a pelvic contusion. Yet, the Lakers were down 92-91 with just 1:30 remaining before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a difficult pull-up three, helping Oklahoma City edge out a victory. 

After a win against the Jazz, the team ran into a buzzsaw, getting blown out by the Timberwolves (109-80) on the second night of a grueling back-to-back that had them landing in Minnesota at 2:00 a.m. — a textbook “schedule loss.”

This has been a tough, road-heavy stretch for the Lakers, featuring six playoff-caliber opponents. While their 2-5 record over this span is disappointing, it’s worth noting how close they were to flipping the script. They could have easily edged out wins against the Magic and Thunder, finishing 4-3 instead. While you’d like to see Los Angeles close out tight games more effectively, this recent string of contests is far from a “sky is falling” moment for the team.

Meanwhile, a closer look at James’ recent struggles reveals that some of his poor shooting can be traced to Reaves’ absence from the lineup — the first time in a season-and-a-half. Reaves and James have developed excellent on-court chemistry. Without the Oklahoma product creating opportunities for him, LBJ has been forced to adjust. 

Over the past two games, he’s averaged 8.0 pull-up jumpers per game — well above his season average — a clear reflection of the Lakers’ stagnant ball movement in the absence of one of their primary playmakers. For a player as intelligent as James, it’s likely he’s already aware of his shooting trends. Expect him to take a more measured approach in Los Angeles’s upcoming matchup against the Heat on Wednesday.

While James’ performance has made headlines, the Lakers defense has also drawn criticism as a primary reason they aren’t considered genuine championship contenders. While the team does rank 24th in Defensive Rating (117.1), this metric doesn’t tell the whole story. Los Angeles has had some of the league’s worst luck with contested shots. Opponents are hitting an unusually high 54.4% of their attempts with very tight coverage (a defender within 0-2 feet) and 52.2% with tight coverage (a defender within 2-4 feet), both well above league averages.

These early-season shooting anomalies can heavily distort defensive metrics in small sample sizes. In contrast, teams like the Warriors, Thunder, Rockets and Magic — who rank in the top five in Defensive Rating — have benefited from significantly better opponent shooting luck in similar situations.

Digging deeper, the Lakers have long been known as a team that takes its foot off the gas once building a double-digit lead — a tendency that has undoubtedly impacted their Defensive Rating. However, when it matters most, Los Angeles has been serviceable, ranking 15th in opponent clutch scoring, holding opposing teams to 9.1 PPG in crunch time. While that’s only middle-of-the-pack, it’s a more accurate reflection of their true defensive potential when fully locked in.

As the league’s most watched team and home to one of the world’s most famous athletes in James, the Lakers are constantly under a magnifying glass. Every losing streak is overanalyzed, creating unnecessary panic. But Lakers fans should remember this is an 82-game marathon, not a sprint. In a loaded Western Conference with 12 playoff-caliber teams, rough patches like these are inevitable. They’re not a sign of impending doom, just part of the ups and downs of a long season.