The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost three straight and remain winless when both LeBron James and Anthony Davis don’t play.
While it’s been perhaps Montrezl Harrell’s best stretch of games as a Laker, it’s not resulting in wins, which has been exacerbated by the upcoming trade deadline.
Back-to-back blowout losses in the days before the trade deadline generally lead to rumors and league-wide chatter. However, this isn’t affecting the Lakers locker room the way it has in the past, as Harrell, Dennis Schroder and others are seasoned professionals.
Harrell was brutally honest about the Lakers’ recent losses and what they need to be better at moving forward.
“We’ve missed a lot of easy shots,” Harrell said. “We couldn’t get the 3-ball to really fall for us, we definitely had some defensive breakdowns, had a lot of chances to make them uncomfortable and we couldn’t do it. We just got to keep playing.
“We can’t worry about the things that we don’t have or the pieces that aren’t here at that point in time. This is what it is, man. We got to stay together, we got to fight. That’s all it is. Like I said the last time I did media, we’re not looking to drop games or hold on until these guys come back. We’re trying to compete and still win games.”
L.A. now faces their toughest test yet against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Harrell spoke about the preparation ahead of that game.
“We got to go home to get in our preparation, we got to get in our rest and get prepared to win a basketball game. We’re pros. The only thing that’s different about this season is the less amount of games we play and the Covid protocols. It’s no different from if it was a regular season and we would have a back-to-back, it might be this team.
“Injuries are what’s gonna happen in the season, injuries or Covid. So it’s just something we’ve got to deal with, it’s something we’ve got to keep getting better at and keep growing at. This is the time where we really got to band together as a team, as a group.”
Amid trade rumors, injuries and losses, it appears that Harrell and the Lakers are sticking together and doing their best not to let anything affect them. If the first few games without James and Davis are any indication, L.A. will give their best effort and do everything they can to grab a win.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope unaffected by trade rumors
As one of the most frequently talked about names in rumored trade talks, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has to stay strong prior to Thursday’s deadline. He spoke about the rumors, saying he hasn’t heard much and is trying to stay away from that.
“Maybe,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I don’t know. I don’t know who is all in the trade talks. I really haven’t paid attention to it. It’s my first time hearing about it. I feel like energy is good. I don’t think nobody is worried about any trade unless they’re keeping it personal.”
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