Lakers: NBA Expert Buries LA in Latest Power Rankings

Zach Harper of The Athletic provided his perspective on why the Lakers are an irrelevant team after their latest loss.

Proclaiming that yesterday's Lakers loss was the worst of the season would be disrespectful to the slew of other disappointing losses this year. The Lakers 116-108 loss in New Orleans is just another piece of the ugly mosaic LA has been hard at work constructing this year. 

The Athletic's Zach Harper produced his weekly NBA power rankings and the Lakers where right where they should be - in the bottom-third of the league. Harper ranked them 21st and aptly summed up the last couple of months of purple and gold basketball.

"And then you realize you’re staring into the abyss of mediocrity while we get distracted by LeBron scoring binges that don’t lead to wins..."

Many writers, including this one, have summed up the Lakers season so far with a plenty of intriguing phrases, but "abyss of mediocrity" might just take the cake. The Lakers are a mediocre team that's 12 games under .500 with their postseason hopes on life support. 

Each time it feels like the Lakers have found something that could lead to consistent success, it quickly falls apart. 

After the short handed Lakers lost to the 76ers on Wednesday, head coach Frank Vogel talked about how the team was "making progress" towards success. We all know what happened next. LA built a 23-point half time lead in New Orleans on Sunday only to let the game slip away in the fourth quarter to secure another loss. 

The game wasn't a referendum on LA's season, it was a reminder of the reality of the situation.

The Lakers are indeed a mediocre team whose troubling performances are punctuated by standout games from their lone healthy superstar.