Kendrick Perkins Rips Lakers' Cohesion After Hornets Rout

Overview

• Following Thursday's 135-117 loss in Charlotte, Kendrick Perkins said the Lakers are "a bunch of individuals," questioning whether they even maintain a group chat or team dinners.
• The Hornets hit 20-of-43 threes (47%) as LaMelo Ball scored 30, Los Angeles was out-rebounded 50-35, allowed 71 second-half points, and got just nine points from its bench.
• Despite 39 points from Luka Doncic and 29 from LeBron James, the Lakers have lost four of their past five and are 24-15, according to The Sporting News via Yahoo.
• Recent coverage places Los Angeles 26th in defensive rating and notes at least 120 points allowed in 10 of the last 20 games, reinforcing concerns about trust and communication on defense.
• Fan reaction gathered by EssentiallySports is directing blame toward team leadership, with some criticism focused on LeBron James' influence on culture and cohesion.