"They made Lakers look old": NBA analyst offers blunt assessment as Lebron James and Co. get humbled by young Magic

The LA Lakers lost a crucial game against the Orlando Magic on Monday. The Magic defeated LeBron James and Co. 118-106 to hand them their third loss in a row. This has been a difficult stretch for LA as the team is now 3-7 over its last 10 games. LeBron James had 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the loss.

Luka Doncic was solid, recording 32 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Despite their stars playing well, the Lakers just couldn’t manage to defeat Orlando.

Former NBA player-turned-analyst, Chandler Parsons, offered his blunt assessment of LA following their tough loss:

“Last night, they just looked a step slow. They turned the ball over and didn’t get back in transition. The Orlando Magic made them look old last night,” said Parsons.

Interestingly enough, the Lakers have lost both of their games against Orlando this season. In fact, they haven’t defeated them since November 4, 2023. To put Parsons’ comments into perspective, LA’s roster is made up of many players below 25, and the team has an average age of 26.9.

Meanwhile, the Magic have an average age of 25.5. But, we also have to consider that LA has the oldest player in the league, LeBron James (40). Apart from James, Markieff Morris (35) and Max Kleber (32) are the only ones above 30 on the roster.

“The Lakers don't play any defense”: Shannon Sharpe grills LeBron James and Co. for poor defense

LeBron James and Co. are in serious trouble and their main issue seems to be their defensive shortcomings. A couple of weeks ago, the team boasted one of the best defenses in the league and was doing well.

However, things have quickly taken a turn for the worse and the Lakers are now 3-7 over their last 10 and have lost three in a row.

Shannon Sharpe grilled the team for their poor form and lack of defensive effort on Tuesday's episode of "First Take":

“The Lakers don't play any defense," Sharpe said. "They gave up 146 to Chicago, they gave up 118 last night. They're allowing teams to get whatever they want. They're not nearly as physical as they need to be on the defensive end."

LA needs to figure things out on the defensive end if they wish to make noise come playoff time. J.J. Redick needs to rally his team and help them find their form from February.