LeBron James and 3 more Los Angeles Lakers to blame for 0-2 start vs Nuggets

As Anthony Davis so eloquently stated, Jamal Murray made a shot. That shot won Monday's game at the buzzer for the Denver Nuggets, giving them a 2-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers.

As discouraging as it is for the Lakers to lose each of the first two games of this first-round series, the Lakers have played about as well as anyone could've expected. Game 2 in particular was a game in which it looked as if they were going to win before Denver stormed back.

While they've competed with the defending champions, all that matters is the final result, and the Lakers have come up short twice. These three players, in addition to LeBron James, are to blame for the team failing to secure a road win.

3. Spencer Dinwiddie has been nothing but a negative for the Lakers

The Lakers were seen as big winners in the buyout market, signing Spencer Dinwiddie to a contract for the remainder of the season after he was traded by the Nets and bought out by the Raptors. Dinwiddie was having a down year in Brooklyn but a fresh start playing for his hometown team that was in contention was certainly going to wake him up, right?

Well, not exactly. Dinwiddie's play has only gotten worse since arriving in Hollywood. The 31-year-old averaged just 6.8 points per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field as a Laker coming off the bench. He averaged 24 minutes per game in the regular season but has seen his production and his minutes take a nosedive in the postseason.

Dinwiddie played just 13:07 in Game 1 and did not attempt a single field goal. He had two rebounds and an assist, but this is a guy who averaged 17.3 points per game just last season. In Game 2 he saw his minutes decrease again, down to 10:07. He did attempt one field goal, but missed that shot and was once again scoreless.

What makes matters worse is that the Lakers were annihilated in Dinwiddie's limited minutes. Not only did Dinwiddie not do anything on the offensive end, but the Lakers were minus-12 in his 13 minutes in Game 1 and minus-9 in his 10 minutes in Game 2. It's almost impossible, yet it happened. The Lakers need to seriously think about whether Dinwiddie should see the floor at all for Game 3 after how poorly he played in Denver.

2. Austin Reaves has played below his standards against the Nuggets

The Lakers might've fallen short last season against the Nuggets but Austin Reaves continued his brilliant postseason, averaging 21.3 points per game and contributing as a passer and defender as well. This postseason, unfortunately, has been a different story for Reaves, at least so far.

Through the first two games of this series, Reaves is averaging just 11.0 points per game to go along with five rebounds and 2.5 assists. He has shot 45.0 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from 3-point range. Not what the Lakers are looking for.

Reaves set career-highs this season averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He was an efficient shooter as well. Last season we saw Reaves really elevate his game in the postseason and look like a legitimate third option for this Lakers team behind LeBron and Anthony Davis, but this time around, his play in the playoffs has taken a step back while D'Angelo Russell has been shooting the ball as if he's the third option.

The Lakers need Reaves to be the all-around force he was in last season's playoffs and during the regular season if they want to climb back into the series.

1. Rui Hachimura has struggled mightily in the playoffs

After a lackluster start to his season, Rui Hachimura really settled in and performed well as a starter for the Lakers, especially down the stretch. The 26-year-old averaged 16.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on 56.4/45.1/76.2 shooting splits after the All-Star break, cementing himself as a big piece for this Lakers team.

Unfortunately, the playoffs have been an entirely different story for Hachimura who has struggled in each of the first two games of this series.

Hachimura had seven points and three rebounds while taking only four field goal attempts in Game 1, and then shot 1-for-7, scoring three points in Game 2 in 37:48. He's played 30+ minutes in both contests, yet has been mostly a non-factor which is certainly frustrating for the Lakers.

Los Angeles has gotten everything that they could've hoped for from Anthony Davis, but the rest of the starting lineup has failed to produce offensively. Hachimura, in particular, has got to step it up for the Lakers to stand a chance.