Is it time to be worried about the Los Angeles Lakers? Yes.

Darvin Ham was able to hold LeBron James under 33 minutes of playing time for the second time in eight games on Wednesday in Houston, giving his 38-year-old star some rest.

[{"selector":"#anim-2879667f-a5fa-4138-be14-ee738bc283fe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5579c18-bf2f-4679-8cc9-aec5ed4bb3dc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 158.55641%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Only because LeBron sat out the whole fourth quarter of a rout by the rebuilding Rockets

[{"selector":"#anim-8cb23483-b670-4c22-a3c0-d635b548b38b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-69fcbda7-e74e-41af-b978-7bf2f7bdeb31","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 215.87296%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The Lakers' 34-point loss was only the latest in a string of red flags for Los Angeles. It's only eight games into the season,

[{"selector":"#anim-c90d2633-cc07-4db9-8a3e-ac8586ba565b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b40d36ea-8f37-4a29-a4de-5e58811d05c7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.04356%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

and it's far too early to write off any club (though Memphis is attempting to do so), but is it time to worry about the Lakers?

[{"selector":"#anim-7c303e87-4d45-4acb-964a-a6c4dec711d2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c5073b8e-919b-4f65-a142-36ab012189ff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 166.00187%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Not to panic, but it is time to be concerned. LeBron was asked about the Lakers' 3-5 start to the season

[{"selector":"#anim-a171f61b-acfd-4e8a-874c-ce73b1b0ead5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-405f6678-b2a2-450b-98e3-f02ec593fb3c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.04356%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

they are 0-5 on the road — and this was his response, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin:

[{"selector":"#anim-6618415e-fea1-4d90-95ee-a4f5f86614c3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a4a8b526-10fb-4eda-989f-96faa9dcd08a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 226.26259%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

I don't have an opinion.... We can't create coherence if we don't have a unit. It's as simple as that. We're just really thin on the injuries front."

[{"selector":"#anim-10ef106e-7dbb-4d99-9578-d03c1255d529","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1617b645-498e-48ed-b746-1e4e70cdd4f6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 168.56599%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Without a doubt, injuries have harmed the Lakers. Anthony Davis was out with "hip spasms" but should be back soon against the Rockets, backup

[{"selector":"#anim-e15c0b83-613f-4fa8-9f36-8658092fada4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22644219-3b6a-4aaf-8256-46cdb0a7457e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 160.87368%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

center Jaxson Hayes was out with a sprained left ankle, and Jarred Vanderbilt (the team's best perimeter defender)

[{"selector":"#anim-34b936e2-c761-4929-8672-06d3f5083c66","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ffdccbf-602d-44dc-a2c0-d04e78de5c4d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 182.70339%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]