The Lakers are a long, long way from where they expected to be over a quarter of the way into the season. At 13-13 after a disgusting loss to a shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies team on Thursday, they are a very, very far cry from a team that was, on paper, designed to be the team to beat in the Western Conference.
The blame can be placed in any number of areas. The roster is old, they have dealt with numerous injuries already, and the Lakers’ stars, starting with LeBron James, appear completely uninterested in playing defense or even staying engaged on offense at times.