The LA Lakers are currently tied for second place in the Western Conference, but they are certainly not without flaws.

The Lakers struggled to defend and didn't get much from their bench Wednesday night, recurring themes this month.

Find out where to watch Celtics vs. Lakers on Dec 5, including TV channels, streaming options, and all the game details you need.

The Lakers are 4-4 against teams that began December with winning records, making some wonder if they are as good as their overall record.

This is a team that takes wins when they are available. The Lakers are the only team that is undefeated in clutch time (6-0) this season. They are 14-0 when leading by more than 10 points at any point in a game. When they trail by more than 10 points, Lakers games are a coin flip, as they have a 5-5 record in those games.

The Lakers' only tradeable first-round pick (2031 or 2032) is not valued around the league, spelling bad news for any Lakers trade plans.

The Lakers fell in the latest USA TODAY Sports power rankings, moving from second to sixth in Week 3. The Lakers had previously started the season ranked 11th.

Luka Doncic knows how to make a head-turning entrance. The Los Angeles Lakers star proved that on Friday, ahead of their post-Thanksgiving showdown with the Dallas Mavericks. The Slovenian guard, who is averaging 35.

A sluggish first half defensively had the Lakers playing catch-up the rest of the game as they fell 55-42. They fell behind 8-0 early as the Otters found the open girl behind the arc for three.

The San Antonio Spurs held off the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, Dec. 10 in a 132-119 victory in the final game of the NBA Cup quarterfinals. San Antonio had seven different players reach double figures in scoring, but guard Stephon Castle posted a 30-point double-double with 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

LeBron James believes it is far too early in the season to start looking ahead to the playoffs. "I can't think about what we can do in the playoffs in December," James said following Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals loss to the San Antonio Spurs,