After losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers now have a record of 0-2 for the year. Despite the relatively disastrous start to the 2022–23 season, Lonnie Walker IV is certain that things will soon turn around.
But from where precisely does Walker obtain his assurance?
To be fair, the Lakers performed better against the Clippers than they did in their matchup with the Golden State Warriors on NBA Opening Night. The Purple and Gold’s offence, particularly 3-point shooting, continues to be a major issue, but they did play more tenaciously on defence, which allowed them to hold their LA rivals to just 103 points.
Walker, who finished with a game-high 26 points, said he believes they are “right there” and very close to understanding how to work together as a team. His colleagues appear to share his sentiments, as he observed that despite the loss, “there was a bit of optimism in the locker room.”
“Our last two teams that we played against had been playing together for the last 4-5 years, while we’ve only been playing together for a few weeks. That therefore says a lot about our playing style. Walker told Lakers Nation, “We just have to keep stacking the days, trust in the system, trust in our teammates, and play the way we do.
After the consecutive losses, many Lakers supporters are already in a panic, and it’s difficult to blame them. After all, LeBron James and company are not even close to competing for the championship right now, as evidenced by their submission to two contenders.
However, as Lonnie Walker IV noted, the Lakers may still have some chance. Of course, it is still unclear if they will ever be able to work well together. Every NBA fan is aware of how disastrously their attempt with Russell Westbrook last year flopped.
Fans of LA undoubtedly expected this year to be different. However, fans will need to wait for a few more games to witness that.
After the Lakers lose to the Clippers and fall to 0-2 in the season, Lonnie Walker IV finds a silver lining, according to ClutchPoints.