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The Lakers always start games slow and behind, but LeBron James is tired of answering questions about their energy level.
For a team with championship aspirations this year, the Lakers could hardly have had a worse start to the season. This is largely due to the injuries that have taken a toll on the Lakers.
Another notable part, though, is the Lakers’ generally lackluster performance. Their season started off historically bad, judging by their 3-point shooting and poor first quarter performance.
One of the buzzwords surrounding the team this season due to a slow start is energy. The often lethargic Lakers fall far behind early in games and then are forced into last-ditch situations, and sometimes they just can’t get back up, as was the case Wednesday in Houston.
As a result, the team was asked time and time again about their postgame energy levels. The answers and their words were fine, but the actions didn’t change. So these issues persist.
On Wednesday, after multiple postgame questions about the team’s energy level, LeBron James offered an effective answer as he finally reached his limit and ended his playing time.
“I don’t know, is this a theme?” LeBron said. “Is the word energy the theme of our football club now? Because everyone is asking the same question.”
LeBron noted that building any kind of cohesion is difficult when players are in and out of the starting lineup and rotation. He also said that as a result, he has no assessment of the team at this time.
In a sense, you can sympathize with LeBron and the Lakers. So many moving variables make it difficult to figure anything out this season, and ultimately, there are still only eight games in an 82-game season.
But at the same time, the energy level doesn’t depend on who it is and isn’t available. There are a lot of things the Lakers can’t control about their situation, but the energy level they bring to the table isn’t one of them.
LeBron may not be the one to answer questions about energy levels, though. Considering he’s 21 and approaching 40, he brings the right level of energy you can expect, all things considered.
His much younger teammates often didn’t play with the necessary energy. When fully healthy, they may be able to bring high energy levels without having to rely on their talents. But they are far from healthy, so there is very little room for error.
The Lakers can’t help but bring it every night. They continue to learn lessons the hard way. Before they start energizing every night, they continue to learn the same lessons.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter: @Jacobrud.
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