LeBron James did not mask his frustration over tonight’s 103-115 loss to the Detroit Pistons. He reached his boiling point, particularly when a reporter asked about the prospects of the Lakers if Anthony Davis was sidelined. For context, Los Angeles’ big man hurt his left ankle during the game.

He stayed in the game, finishing with a game-high 37 points. But that moment, when Jalen Duren fouled him on his way for a layup, causing him to tumble down to the floor, grabbing his ankle and crying out in pain, had the Purple & Gold pray to the high heavens!

Given AD’s history with injuries and the already inconsistent start to their season, James’ annoyance nearly peaked. The reporter in question was Dave McMenamin, and when he asked about the uncertainty of Davis’ presence, LeBron immediately asked, “What? AD’s out?” McMenamin clarified that wasn’t the case, but if it turned out to be a scenario where Anthony was sidelined, what would the Lakers do? That did it.

“You want me to answer a question you know the answer to?” James retorted. Dave further prompted, “How concerned are you …” to which the ‘Akron Hammer’ interjected, replying, “I’m going second by second,” as the ESPN veteran finished, “if he’s out?” James looked at him incredulously and responded, “I’m not playing the if game with you!” At the same time, Anthony Davis was heard saying in the background, “I’m not out,” effectively stopping the tense atmosphere from boiling over.

Davis, for his part, didn’t sound too optimistic about his ankle post-game. Talking to McMenamin, AD looked deflated and sounded disappointed as he felt. “I don’t know man. Talk to my trainer and figure out what exactly is going on. I have been managing it all summer. … [And] I landed it exactly on the spot that’s been killing me,” the 9x All-Star sighed.

Well, he certainly is a player we are going to have to keep an eye out for in the injury report. Nevertheless, LeBron had a few things to say about tonight’s disappointing performance.

LeBron James reflects on the Lakers’ loss to Pistons

James had a double-double for the night – 20 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists – which, along with Davis’ impressive stats, could not pull his Purple & Gold over the edge. The Lakers’ lack of defensive intensity, coupled with Detroit’s trademark physicality, turned out to be a mistake that cost the team dearly.

And it was an aspect that the 4x champion wholeheartedly agreed. “I don’t think we, as a unit, did a good job.” But when assessing their overall effort, the NBA’s all-time scorer took a more diplomatic tone.

“Gotta be better on both sides of the floor. That’s all. I think there’s times where we’re good. There’s times where we’re not so good on both sides of the floor. There’s things we’re still working out,” he noted. Clearly, inconsistency reigns supreme as the major factor for Los Angeles’ struggles so far.

Hence, it has become clear that the franchise’s path forward hinges on finding that steady rhythm on both offense and defense. As LeBron James noted, there are flashes of potential and strong play. However, without sustained consistency, the Lakers are likely to face setbacks. And it does not bode well for a squad with title aspirations.

For one, these early season struggles point to the fact that talent alone is not going to bridge the gap. A commitment to group effort and resilience will need to be a priority if they hope to turn things around before it’s too late.