Los Angeles Lakers: 3 takeaways the Pacers loss magnified

Here are three takeaways that were magnified from the Los Angeles Lakers’ embarrassing 42-point loss on the road to the Indiana Pacers.

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ season is at a severe crossroads. Everybody but LeBron James has heard their name tossed around a trade rumor, and tensions are high with players and coaches calling each other out after losses. The team has nosedived in the standings from the 4-seed to the 10th place, with the gap widening.

The energy around this team had to be awkward and damaged for the time being, and it showed as the Lakers were wiped off the floor by the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night, 136-94. It was the worst loss of LeBron’s career and was embarrassing before you throw in that Indiana was on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the New Orleans Pelicans on the road.

The team showed little energy throughout the game and had no communication on defense, allowing open shot after open shot. The Lakers shot an abysmal 4-for-21 (19.0 percent) from the 3-point line as well. They looked like the team that had played a competitive game on the road the night before, not the Pacers, and that’s before mentioning Indiana is without its best player in Victor Oladipo.

For the Lakers, it’s another double-digit loss and another game back in the playoff race. The anxiety of the trade deadline will be somewhat alleviated Thursday when the young players will know if they’ve been traded or will stay with the Lakers until the summer, which could improve the mood in the locker room. Even so, Pacers fans made sure that Brandon Ingram heard about the upcoming deadline during a trip to the free throw line.

Clarity helps, but this loss was a lackluster showing from every member on the roster for a team that is fighting to even make the playoffs. Here are three takeaways from the blowout showing.