The L.A Lakers. A global staple in sports dominance. The Lakers are more than a team, they’re a brand; a global brand with a logo that is instantly recognizable. The rich history just pours out of your subconscious memory when you lay eyes on those purple and yellow colors; Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant. So why are the Lakers of this season finding it so hard to carry on the legacy of winning?
For starters, the Lakers would have had the greatest team ever assembled; if the year was 2010. They house a slew of veterans that are still exceptional basketball players, but it really begs the question why do you need so many vets on a single team? Wouldn’t you be better off arranging a nice mix of young and old, instead of just a predominantly more mature team? I would understand why Lebron pushed GM Rob Pelinka to go and acquire all these players; he’s comfortable with them, and it’s clear that they all want to win a championship. Judging by their play, however, it looks like they will need to figure out how to win with more than motivation.
When I watch this Lakers team play, I see a team that is out of sync. A winning basketball team is like a fine-tuned car engine, all moving parts working in harmony with each other to get the car from point A to point B in an efficient manner. Right now the Lakers are looking like my uncle’s dilapidated Chevy Nova, the one that would stall whenever it was raining. This team is anything but a finely tuned engine. Players are confused by the plays being called, game plans are being thrown out the window midway through the game. It really leaves you asking whether this team has a leader or not?
Now I know Lebron is the obvious leader, but could there be some discrepancies with Lebron and head coach Frank Vogel. I mean, it’s very clear that the team is going out there every night and kind of just winging it, which is something you don’t wanna be doing in a stacked Western Conference. I really do think there needs to be a GM and coaching change, but also a culture change within the Lakers organization.
The truth is that Lebron is still a top-5 player in the NBA, even at the age of 37. In saying that, Lebron has been known to dismiss coaches’ assignments, and just lead the team on his own, kind of like a “player-coach” type of dynamic. This is a team he advocated for, and that he specifically asked for. The Lakers sold most of their future to acquire these players, and now, after a rough first half, they decided to stick with the experiment for the second half of the season.
The experiment is not working. The Lakers were blown out by the Pelicans last night 123-95. Let me say that again; the Lakers were blown out by the Pelicans! What in all that is holy is going on here? This team is better than this and they know it, the simple fact is that they have no chemistry whatsoever. You can have all the talented players in the world on one team, but if there is no chemistry, then it would all be in vain.
Next to Giannis Antentokounmpo, Russel Westbrook is my favorite NBA player. In saying that, his fast-paced, intense playing style is not meant for the Lakers. Russ brings it every night, and what he lacks in shooting accuracy, he more than makes up for in hustle and spirit. It seems that Russ is trying to save this team with his intense play, but his teammates just don’t play the same way. It’s hard playing at 120 MPH when everybody else is going 70 MPH.
Russ has made more than plenty of mistakes, but out of all the players on the roster, Lebron James and Malik Monk I should mention as well, are the only ones who are playing like they actually care. It’s time for this team to re-group and get on the same page because if they don’t, heads will roll this offseason.