Los Angeles Lakers: 3 trends that will land the team on Santa’s naughty list

2. The inability to win games that are close down the stretch

Now, this is something that most NBA teams struggle with, mostly because the best teams in the league are so good at locking in on both ends at the end of games, putting in their best performances when it matters the most. The Lakers have been a victim of this many times and it is frustrating for fans to watch their team roll over in the final minutes.

One great example of this was when the Lakers played a “road game” against their inner-city rival Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 27. The Lakers were comfortably ahead by seven points with nine minutes to play before being outscored 27-15 for the rest of the game and falling to the banged-up Clippers, 120-115.

In a very winnable game, the Lakers lacked direction in their final possessions. It looks like the team is trying to make Brandon Ingram their go-to guy in the clutch, but his teammates often stand around while Ingram drives the lane in these big moments. The Lakers’ other young assets have to step up and be willing to be a passing option for Ingram down the stretch.

There are times when superstars in the league take over games down the stretch, as was the case when the Lakers went to Cleveland and battled to the very end before LeBron James imposed his will on the game with a dominant performance. However, the Lakers’ struggles at the end of games could cost the team a playoff spot at the end of the season.