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via Imago

via Imago

The Los Angeles Lakers registered an impressive win against the New York Knicks today. They fought back from a slump and emerged victorious. However, many of the previous games have been the complete opposite. The Lakers have been struggling since the start of the season.

The Lakers current record is 26-28. They have won only 4 games out of the last 10 that they played. Lakers had attempted to create a championship-caliber team during the offseason. However, most of the trade moves they made blew up in their faces.

LeBron James was asked what the Lakers need at the NBA trade deadline that is fast approaching. LeBron jokingly says that what they need is Stephen Curry. However, he also mentioned the reality that the front office may not consider him. Obviously, it’s an extremely unrealistic trade move.

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USA Today via Reuters

LeBron’s words were, “Stephen Curry (laughs) I’m just playin. I don’t know that’s on the front office”.

The Lakers championship run this season has been thrown off track by a number of injuries. Anthony Davis, their star player, was out for most of the initial phases of the season. He was dealing with an MCL sprain. LeBron James too got injured soon after and had to sit out quite a few games.

Another veteran player, Carmelo Anthony, also recently got injured. Other players on the roster like Russell Westbrook are extremely inconsistent. Russell Westbrook was a very promising player. However, his performance this entire season has been below average.

READ MORE: Lakers Crowd Begs Russell Westbrook to Not Shoot 3 Pointer In Unbelievable NBA Scenes

What are the Lakers lacking?

As it has already been mentioned much of their championship dreams have been derailed by injuries. The problem is that there is no one to take over the game once the star players are out. If both LeBron and Davis are injured, there is essentially no one that can lead the team.

USA Today via Reuters

Russell Westbrook, the third superstar of the team, has been the most inconsistent this season. This may as well be the worst season of his career. Westbrook is constantly missing open shots and committing a lot of huge turnovers.

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The Lakers roster is quite old in terms of age. In hindsight, they should have invested in young talent during the offseason. Their goal should have been to find reliable and lethal shooters. They need players that are comfortable and confident in shooting beyond the arc.

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Lakers are a good team defensively. Both James and Davis have the capability to protect the paint. However, no matter how exceptional these players are, they have never been three-point shooters. The Lakers should be aiming for young shooting guards to add to their roster by the end of the trade deadline.

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