Rob Pelinka: Lakers Need More Time To Develop Chemistry Due To Protocols 3 minute read Up next Author The Los Angeles Lakers endured the first test of their perseverance in the 2020-21 season coming by way of back-to-back losses at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. L.A.’s play has fluctuated since the campaign’s tip-off, but a 107-92 loss to the Pistons truly exposed the team’s shortcomings. Possibly the biggest one is the lack of in-game chemistry caused by severely limited practice time due to coronavirus (COVID-19) health and safety protocols. LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma recently said the Lakers do most of their pregame work in the film room and often have to learn different schemes and lineups “on the fly” during games. In addition, the health and safety protocols deprive the players of the invaluable quality time outside of basketball that the Lakers greatly enjoyed before the pandemic hit in March 2020.