The Los Angeles Lakers are quite a confusing bunch this season. There are a number of factors you can look towards that point to them having a winning record.
They have a trio of stars in Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, and they, along with the Portland Trailblazers, are the only two teams in the league with three 20+ PPG scorers.
Luka Dončić, the leader of the trio, is not only leading the Lakers with 33.5 PPG but is also leading the league as a whole in that statistic.
More: Luka Dončić already leads Los Angeles Lakers all-time in major statistic
The team has a wealth of stars and seemingly a wealth of scoring, but when you take a deeper look at this Los Angeles team, you quickly realize that their 21-11 record is far better than they deserve.
Lakers’ point differential sets them apart from every other team above .500
The Lakers are currently 21-11 and are tied for the 4th seed with the Houston Rockets. At face value, that is a successful-looking season nearing the halfway point.
When you take a deeper look, though, you can see that this team doesn’t look nearly as good as their record indicates.
Of all the teams in the NBA with winning records, the Los Angeles Lakers are the only team with a negative point differential.
CRAZY BUT TRUE: The Lakers are the ONLY team with a winning record but a negative point-differential 😳 pic.twitter.com/Kt9lU6RsmI
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) January 3, 2026
The Lakers are starting off the new year strong by beating up on a team they should beat up on, the Memphis Grizzlies. The month of December, however, was a different story.
Los Angeles went 5-7 and frankly were blown out in each of their losses. They lost by an average of 19 PPG, which did their differential no favors.
They can beat the bad and mid-level teams, but when faced with elite talent, this team currently struggles. They don’t just struggle, they crumble. If the Purple and Gold have any aspirations of a finals appearance this year, something is going to need to be done before the trade deadline.
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