Podcast: Is there a problem with the Lakers’ chemistry?

The Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets on Thursday in a result that was essentially predetermined when it was announced that LeBron James would be sitting out on the second night of the back-to-back.

Rather than examine the implications of a game when the Lakers were missing their best player, as well as Alex Caruso and JaVale McGee in addition to the continued absence of Rajon Rondo, the Silver Screen & Roll postgame show addressed a more holistic concern regarding the Lakers: Their team chemistry.

This was a group that was lauded all season long for how close the players were, how hard they played for one another, and how those traits made them succeed and coalesce to become something greater than than the sum of their parts. Now, the Lakers are slumping at an inopportune time, James is alluding to things beyond his control that he would rather not talk about, and the team gave its starting center JaVale McGee a DNP-CD without much of a reason.

On the show, Anthony and Sabreena discuss whether there is reason to be concerned about the team’s chemistry, starting with the McGee situation. They go over what else could be causing this sudden change in the team’s rapport, including the absences of Avery Bradley, Rondo, and Lionel Hollins.

They then get into the game itself and spend some time discussing the Lakers’ continuing shooting woes, before concluding with the specific matchup against the Rockets. They talk about what Houston does that challenges the Lakers, especially in terms of how the Rockets capitalize on the way the modern game is officiated, and go over what the Lakers need to be better at to contain Houston during a potential playoff series.

You can listen to the full episode below, and to make sure you never miss a show, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.

You can follow your hosts on Twitter at @AnthonyIrwinLA and @sabreenajm.