No one is surprised when the Lakers fall at this point in the year. Barring incredible performances from LeBron James, they can and most often do lose to absolutely anyone. They can’t defend. They have no consistent offense outside of “give the ball to LeBron and hope he creates chicken salad out of chicken …,” well, you know. And, because they’re the Lakers, with LeBron James, everyone considers a victory over them to be a merit badge. They might be the first worthless No. 9 seed to have a massive bullseye on their back every night.
Now, the Lakers (-7.5 vs. Minnesota) certainly aren’t the worst team in the league. Sure, they’re a far cry from the title contender many expected in the summer, but they’re not going to be in play (in a serious math sense, anyway) for the No. 1 overall pick.
Still, after a 124-104 blowout loss to the Timberwolves, they potentially carry a different dark blemish:
