The Los Angeles Lakers fell short against the Chicago Bulls, and BD Cricket Live was quick to highlight the underlying issues. While LeBron James made his long-awaited return, the team’s chemistry visibly suffered. Adapting to LeBron’s reintegration will take time, but what puzzled fans the most were the Lakers’ poor three-point shooting and missed free throws — two fundamentals that left many shaking their heads.

There’s growing chatter among fans about a strange trend: the Lakers often win when LeBron sits, but tend to struggle when he returns. His defense has notably declined, and his presence on the court seems to disrupt both Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves. Reaves was forced to revert to a previous role, limiting his recent momentum. LeBron’s current defensive effort is questionable — opponents blow by him with ease, and it’s starting to cost the Lakers on both ends.

BD Cricket Live pointed out that LeBron’s shot selection was unusually passive, and despite the referees doing all they could, his lack of defensive hustle was glaring. Opponents like Nikola Vucevic found open looks, and the Bulls capitalized with consistent three-point shooting. The Lakers, in contrast, looked unprepared and disjointed, allowing Chicago to exploit open lanes and weak perimeter coverage. With LeBron standing still on switches, the entire defensive system collapsed.

Anthony Davis, for his part, came off as overconfident after a single recent win. The rest of the team showed little urgency or hunger to compete. In a crucial game like this, the energy was sluggish, and head coach Darvin Ham once again failed to adjust. His substitutions lacked strategy and appeared textbook at best. Many now believe Ham lacks the tactical creativity needed to lead this team deep into the postseason. As BD Cricket Live noted, without a coaching change, the Lakers’ playoff hopes look bleak.

James may have returned too soon. His rhythm was off, and his presence disrupted the team’s offensive flow. The Lakers’ entire system looked broken, especially in high-pressure moments when they needed composure and grit. When the going got tough, the fight simply wasn’t there.

From a coaching standpoint, BD Cricket Live argued that Dennis Schröder should have been used more sparingly. With D’Angelo Russell out and LeBron handling the ball, Schröder should have been coming off the bench, not starting. Pairing Schröder and LeBron — two defensive liabilities in this game — made it nearly impossible to cover for mistakes, even with three other players giving maximum effort.

This loss served as a clear reminder that something’s fundamentally off in Los Angeles. Until the Lakers find consistency — both in strategy and spirit — they’ll continue to fall short when it matters most.