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The Lakers have had an up-and-down season, currently finding themselves as the #5 seed, 0.5 games out of the play-in positions.
The West is filled with talented teams, and the Lakers haven't exactly shown yet that they can be grouped with teams like the Thunder and Spurs.
They can make moves ahead of the trade deadline, but there's one major issue the team has had so far that they'll need to find a solution for either way.
What do the Lakers need to fix?
Lakers' reporter Trevor Lane recently posted some numbers on the Lakers' NETRTGs per quarter:
1: -7.7
2: -1.4
3: -2
4: +9.8
To start, it's evident that the team hasn't been starting games well.
MORE: NBA insider reveals 7 trade candidates 'who could absolutely be moved' before the deadline
When a team constantly trails early on, it sets a bad tone for the game and forces players to feel like they are trying to keep up and catch up rather than maintain or build a lead.
Their second and third quarter numbers are better, but still indicate a slight disadvantage.
It's encouraging that they are finishing games well in the fourth quarter, but there's a significant difference between their fourth-quarter output and any other quarter's NETRTG for them.
When it comes to the fourth quarter and late-game execution, these stats are encouraging, but teams have to be in a position for that to even matter, so they'll need to clean up in those first three quarters to improve their on-court results.
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