The Los Angeles Lakers are in all sorts and these stats paint a bleak picture

The Los Angeles Lakers have endured an ugly start to the season and on Monday things went from bad to downright horrific.

The Los Angeles Lakers season found a way to go from bad to downright horrific on Monday morning.

After starting the season with losses to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers appeared on track to secure their first win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

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The Lakers entered the fourth quarter holding a five-point lead and were ahead by one with a tick over 30 seconds left on the clock.

Unfortunately that’s when Russell Westbrook did the unthinkable.

Westbrook dribbled down the court and with 18 seconds left on the shot clock, opted to pull up for a jump shot in front of Jusuf Nurkic who didn’t bother to contest the shot.

The shot bounced off the rim and was rebounded by the Blazers who went the other way and took the lead thanks to a Damian Lillard step-back three.

Westbrook was subbed out of the game for the final three possessions as the Blazers claimed the 106-104 win thanks to Jerami Grant’s driving layup.

Westbrook’s nightmare decision and subsequent miss drew the ire of basketball fans and left Lakers fans and his own teammates furious.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham wished his star point guard had of gone at the rim instead of pulling up for the jumper.

“I just wish we would’ve attacked the rim directly,” Ham said. “That’s the one shot that teams want you to take and want to give up — long 2s, contested 2s, what have you.”

Ham added: “Shot selection is something we have to work on.”

LeBron James and Anthony Davis disgusted after Russell Westbrook bricks a jumper with a 102-101 lead. 17 seconds were left on the shot clock and 30 seconds left in the game. pic.twitter.com/GAa7zWAuRl

— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 23, 2022

Despite the close nature of the contest, the Lakers again displayed their horrific shooting touch from beyond the arc.

Against the Blazers they finished a woeful 6-33 from three, taking their season tally through three games to 25-118.

Westbrook draws the focus of the ugly attention for the Lakers and through the season opening contests, he has shot a dismal 1-12.

After being subbed back into the game in the fourth quarter, the Blazers made the decision to guard Westbrook with centre Jusuf Nurkic and allow him to play off him, giving Westbrook space and playing into his weakness of heaving shots.

“Putting him on Russ, we were just going to kind of play off of Russ in that moment,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said of the adjustment.

Nurkic showed his disdain for the Lakers’ three-point shooting prowess throughout the contest when he routinely left Anthony Davis wide open beyond the arc.

oh my lord. Nurkic didnt even walk over there.

Lakers now 2-21 from 3.https://t.co/KATe2kYAyupic.twitter.com/XYkeazwmZ2

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 23, 2022

LeBron James isn’t free from the outrage after he decided to attempt a shot from the Lakers logo in the second quarter.

Only a minute into the quarter, James had the ball all alone and threw up a prayer which didn’t even come close to hitting the net let alone the rim.

The badly missed three-point attempt had the Lakers at 1-10 to start the game.

After the game, LeBron was asked about going for a two-for-one at the end of games when you have the lead and refused to throw his teammate, Westbrook, under the bus.

“I feel like this is an interview of trying to set me up to say something,” James said. “I can tell that you guys are in the whole Russell Westbrook category right now. I don’t like to lose. I hate to lose at anything. I don’t care what happens throughout the course of my season or throughout the course of my career, I hate to lose. And especially the way we had this game. But give credit to Portland.

“You guys can write about Russ and all the things you want to try to talk about Russ, but I’m not up here to do that. I won’t do it. I’ve said it over and over. That is not my [M.O.]. That’s not who I am.”

LeBron went for it.

pic.twitter.com/2Fd9Z4voXK

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 23, 2022

The Lakers will look to snap their three-game losing streak when they take on the Denver Nuggets in Denver on Thursday.

Originally published as The Los Angeles Lakers are in all sorts and these stats paint a bleak picture