Coach Fizdale says Lakers all bought in to one huge aspect which ignited their offense

Although the very shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday by five points, one member of the coaching staff feels there’s a reason for optimism.

David Fizdale feels that the team’s offense has taken a step forward, at least for now.

Fizdale is normally an assistant coach, but with head coach Frank Vogel (and several players) in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Fizdale was the bench leader for the Lakers in the Windy City.

Although L.A.’s defense has gradually improved this season, its offense has continued to be highly inefficient. Coming into Sunday’s game, the team was only 24th in offensive rating.

One criticism of the Lakers’ half-court offense has been the lack of ball and player movement, but they did look better in both areas against Chicago.

They managed to shoot 51.2 percent from the field and had a solid 25 assists on Sunday.

But the bone of contention was turnovers. L.A. gave the ball up 19 times, and it almost singlehandedly led to the 115-110 loss.

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both played well, while new addition Isaiah Thomas again gave the Lakers a lift in his second game with them.

L.A. will head home to face the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, then it will go up against the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day.