The Lakers’ whiplash-inducing turnaround is hard to watch

As Deandre Ayton walked out of the Lakers’ locker room Tuesday, he sang a lyric by The Five Stairsteps. 

“Ooh child, things are going to get easier.”

They can’t get much worse for LA, that’s for sure. 

The Lakers’ 123-87 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday highlighted how far things have gone in the wrong direction for a team that was soaring. 

Over the last week, they went from going on a 16-2 run and being considered title contenders to losing both Luka Doncic (strained hamstring) and Austin Reaves (strained oblique) for the rest of the regular season and likely the first round of the playoffs.

What was the scene Tuesday during their first home game since the devastating news?

Instead of Luka Doncic being on the podium talking about his MVP campaign, Kobe Bufkin and Adou Thiero were giving postgame interviews about their success in the G League. 

Instead of deploying a starting five that dismantled multiple contenders over the last month, LA had just one typical starter in the lineup in Deandre Ayton. 

And instead of JJ Redick raving yet again about how the Lakers never drop the rope, he was desperately looking for warm bodies.who were willing to try and grip it. 

“We’ve got to find nine guys that are all-in on us fighting,” Redick said.

The coach didn’t see that from his group Tuesday.

Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt exchanged words after the forward was yanked from the game just 16 seconds into the second quarter. When asked what led to that moment, Redick cited “a confluence of things.”

Redick also subbed out Rui Hachimura 2 minutes and 27 seconds into the game. “I called the early timeout because Rui didn’t do his job, so took him out of the game,” Redick said.

As for Ayton, who had three points and three rebounds in nearly 23 minutes, Redick also didn’t hold back on his assessment of him. “We’ve ran a bunch of plays for him,” he said. “He’s just had trouble catching the ball.”

It’s a sad turn of events for a squad that had finally found its groove. 

The Lakers were the “it” team in March. They were beating great teams. Their chemistry was off the charts. They were golfing together off the court. And on it, they had become a fully realized version of their potential. 

Now what’s happening is just sad. 

Doncic’ MVP campaign was waylaid. Reaves, who has a potential maximum contract looming, might not get to show what he can do in the postseason. And the 41-year-old James has to try and keep the team alive in the first round of the playoffs until he can get a semblance of help.

All of the Lakers’ momentum was shuttered. 

James, who missed Tuesday’s game because of left foot injury management amid a stretch in which the Lakers play three games in four nights, sat on the bench wearing a red and black striped sweater. He was next to Reaves, who donned a Lakers sweatshirt. Doncic was more than 5,000 miles away in Spain, where he’s undergoing treatment for his hamstring. 

Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) and Jaxson Hayes (left foot soreness) were also sidelined. 

Tuesday should’ve been one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. 

Instead, the defending champion Thunder faced a JV squad. A sold-out crowd at Crypto.com Arena essentially paid premium prices to watch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. play with their food for.a few hours.

What a turnaround for the Lakers. 

This was supposed to be a matchup between two MVP contenders. It was supposed to be the second time in a weeklong span that the Lakers could prove that they belonged in the championship conversation. 

Instead, it was a funeral for the version of the Lakers that fans had fallen in love with over the past month. 

There were no stars. It was the second time in a week that the Lakers lost to the Thunder by more than 35 points. It was hard to watch. 

And unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s going to get easier anytime soon. 

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