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Los Angeles Lakers: From untouchable to unpalatable | Main Stand

The record 17-time NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers have been on the front page of the papers lately, but not for reasons one would usually expect. 

 


When one thinks of the Lakers, it’s usually the exquisite, showtime championship basketball. Iconic figures such as Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Phil Jackson, Jerry Buss and Kobe Bryant would all come to mind.

But since the Lakers hoisted their record-equaling 17th NBA championship in the 2020 bubble, they have embarked on an untenable downward spiral. 

The franchise may have had an array of elite and established all-star talents such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, but they have been unable to sustainably revitalize a dwindling franchise.

After egregiously missing out on the playoffs last season, the Lakers haven’t managed to reignite their championship hopes this season.

The Lakers 2023 pick is currently projected as the number one pick in the upcoming draft, with the Purple and Gold accumulating a dismal three victories in their opening 13 games thus far. 

Hence, here on Main Stand with Agastya Bajaj, we dissect the Lakers' demise from untouchable to unpalatable, explaining how the side has descended from impenetrable to indefensible and who is culpable for their demise.

 

The Purple and Bold

After reaching the heights of the sport again in 2020, winning their first championship in over a decade courtesy of LeBron and Davis’ inspirational performances, the Lakers headed into the 2021 season with further optimism. 

The Purple and Gold had established themselves as the best defensive team in basketball, having the unequivocally highest defensive rating in the league.

The side had also bestowed upon one of the most unfathomable records the sport has seen, unbeaten in every game they led into the fourth quarter.

This, collated with a relatively successful offseason, maintaining and extending key assets such as all-star Anthony Davis, made the Lakers favorites heading into LeBron and Davis’ second season together.

"We just want our respect," said LeBron “King” James after their championship triumph. 

"Rob (Lakers GM) wants his respect. Coach Vogel wants his respect. Organization wants their respect. Lakers Nation wants their respect. And I want my damn respect, too," with King James vocal about the need for the Lakers to garner merited plaudits after a remarkable revitalization.

Unfortunately for the kid from Akron, Ohio, what was about to ensue was vastly unpalatable to comprehend.

After a promising start to the season, ranking first in the conference during the preeminent stages with a record of 21-5, the Lakers completely discombobulated. 

The two superstars, LeBron James and Antony Davis, featured in merely 45 and 36 of the 72 regular season games respectively. 

The pair picked up catastrophic injuries towards the tail end of the season. LeBron suffered a knee injury in a collision, while Anthony Davis had a vast array of injuries. 

These injuries hindered the team’s overall fluidity and cohesion, particularly on offense, falling down the pecking order and into a mediocre play-in spot. 

LeBron and Davis did manage to return before the playoffs, though. Their appearances were pivotal in the Lakers edging the Warriors in a thrilling playoff decider in the play-in, courtesy of a vintage late LeBron winner.

Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, another Anthony Davis injury and erratic offensive performances saw the side succumb to the Phoenix Suns in the initial round of the postseason.

“They all didn’t wanna listen to me about the start of the season. I knew exactly what would happen,” tweeted LeBron after the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs.

“I only wanted to protect the well being of the players which ultimately is the PRODUCT & BENEFIT of OUR GAME! 

“These injuries isn’t just “PART OF THE GAME”. It’s the lack of PURE RIM REST rest before starting back up. 8, possibly 9 ALL-STARS has missed Playoff games (most in league history). This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing a ton of our fav players. It’s insane”

Nonetheless, despite LeBron’s views on uncharacteristic injuries being the perpetrator of the Lakeshow’s underwhelming season, an off-season roster overhaul was conducted. 

 

Purple and Old 

This rebuild was spearheaded by Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and headlined by the signing of 33-year-old former MVP Russell Westbrook.

After a flurry of rumors indicating LeBron and his agents, Klutch Sports, desire to pursue reliable scorers Buddy Hield and DeMar DeRozan, the front office opted to bring former league MVP, Russell Westbrook.

“I think in kind of building the roster in the offseason, obviously we made a big trade for Russell Westbrook to get another playmaker.

“We knew that as LeBron journeyed towards Year 19 in the league and then Year 20, we couldn’t rely on him as the sole engine for our team, so we made that trade really wanting to dimensionalize the roster with a combination of versatility, guys that could shoot and also defenders,” said Pelinka in an interview. 

This was a remarkable move to some, with the Lakers refurbishing and bolstering their offense through a triple-double machine and all-star to form a highly anticipated big three. 

To others, this was a dreadful move for both parties. Westbrook’s revered athleticism waning, the player leading the league in turnovers and becoming an inefficient player on the floor was a cause of concern within the fanbase. 

The acquisition of Russ also forced key players such as Kuzma, Caldwell Pope and Gasol out of the franchise. This was a byproduct of the former MVP eating up the bulk of the Lakers' salary cap, having the second-highest salary in the league.

As such, the rest of the roster was filled with minimum contracts and veterans Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, DeAndre Jordan, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, Austin Reaves and Avery Bradley. 

On paper, the Lakers would have constructed one of the most decorated rosters, featuring five all-stars and many established winners. The vast array of stardom also made the franchise favorites by the Las Vegas bookies too.

However, the team still did receive criticism from some for their performances last season and having a roster of aging superstars.

The King again took to Twitter to respond to these critics before the season.

"Keep talking about my squad," said the four-time champion. 

"Our personnel ages, the way he plays, he stays injured, we're past our time in this league, etc etc etc. Do me one favor PLEASE!!!! And I mean PLEASE!!! Keep that same narrative ENERGY when it begins! That's all I ask. #ThankYou."

Unfortunately for LeBron, the worst was yet to come and this narrative energy was maintained, if not heightened.

The Lakers missed out on the playoffs in the 2022 season, descending to 11th and missing out on the postseason with three games to go. This occurred despite LeBron and Davis staying relatively fitter, with the King also on the brink of an unprecedented scoring title averaging 30.9 PPG. 

Laker Nation also had to witness arguably the most unpalatable form they have ever witnessed, with the side accumulating seven victories in the last 32 games. The lack of effort, commitment and ambition was an unorthodox and unpalatable sight to bestow upon.

Eventually, the Lakers ended the season with an egregious record of 33-49, with the favorites having an unbridled capitulation that is seemingly still ensuing.

 

The blame game 

So who is to blame for the Lakers' demise?

Well, seemingly everyone is culpable, some more than others.

Several would argue Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and his coaching staff being unable to integrate Russ into the system is a major factor in the downfall.

With Vogel’s defensive identity and prowess, it was inevitable he would suffer attempting to incorporate a host of offensive profiles that don’t suit his system’s rigors. 

The Lakers were also the only side to avoid repeating lineups in consecutive games all season, with coaching indecisiveness and player unreliability hindering cohesion and system acclimation. 

Vogel’s stubbornness to utilize aging and waning players of the ilk of DeAndre Jordan while omitting rising players such as Malik Monk in key moments of the game piled further scrutiny on the head coach. 

That being said, despite Vogel’s unorthodox calls, LeBron James defended him during the preeminent phases of last season. 

"I think criticism comes with the job, you know?” said James. “Frank is a strong-minded guy. 

“He has a great coaching staff. And we as his players have to do a better job of going out and producing on the floor. So, we're a team and an organization that don't mind some adversity, that don't mind people saying things about us, obviously, because that comes with the territory." 

However, regardless of Vogel and the players meriting criticism and slander, there is only so much to do with a discombobulated, aging roster.

Most would argue GM Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss merit the bulk of the criticism, with the two internal figures continuing to get scrutinized within the NBA community. 

The firing of Frank Vogel, found out in a press conference by journalists rather than directly by the GM and Owner, encapsulates their blemishes. 

Jeanie Buss’ conducting mates rates, a term labeled on those who appoint or interact with friends over qualified individuals, resonates with the Lakers owner. 

Her lack of shrewdness, collated with the willingness to ask the likes of Phil Jackson who have been negligible within the game for over a decade, have diminished the optimum for the Lakers to move forward.

“I know that there’s been some unfair criticism of Kurt Rambis,” said Buss. “I want to remind people, he’s been involved in the NBA for close to 40 years, that he has been a part of championship teams both as a player and assistant coach, he is someone I admire for his basketball knowledge.

“People are like fascinated with that for some reason.

"I could ask you do you ever ask Mark Cuban who his inner circle is? Or Joe Lacob who his inner circle is?

“It’s just there’s something about being a woman I think that people feel like, ‘What crutches does she need or what does she lean on because she’s not capable of doing it herself.’”

However, arguably the biggest straws received have also been directed toward Rob Pelinka. The GM’s indecisiveness and lack of proactivity, opting to keep Russ this season rather than rolling the dice, makes it inevitable that the Lakers will continue to decline.

The Lakers opting to run back a discombobulated unit, rather than trading for pieces compatible with LeBron during the tail end of his career is simply a recipe for disaster.

The players merit criticism, but realistically, with LeBron and Davis becoming injury-prone, Russ declining but demonstrating commitment and the bulk of the roster’s waning ability, there is a minuscule ceiling the Lakers can reach.

The model in which the club operates is egregious in itself, with no internal figures boasting any authority whatsoever. 

Figures such as Buss and Pelinka openly indulging with players on internal decisions, driven by sentiment and talking with those who don’t operate by modern-day principles, undermine their authority and the ability for the franchise to ascend the pecking order.

That being said, the blame game will be tossed around Laker Nation and everyone in that franchise merit blame. 

Whether minute blame like LeBron, excelling offensively but boasting minor mishaps with his internal decision making, Davis’ waning fitness and commitment, the bulk of the roster’s pathetic standard, underwhelming coaching, lack of authority from Buss and Pelinka’s torrid spree of egregious decisions, the entire franchise merits blame. 

However, some more than others, with internal figures under immense pressure to alter matters at the franchise.

 

Sources

https://fadeawayworld.net/nba-media/jeanie-buss-fires-back-at-the-haters-who-criticize-her-inner-circle-do-you-ever-ask-mark-cuban-who-his-inner-circle-is-or-joe-lacob-who-his-inner-circle-is
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/18/lebron-james-puts-nbas-pandemic-business-back-in-the-spotlight.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/djsiddiqi/2021/12/23/rob-pelinka-explains-why-los-angeles-lakers-acquired-russell-westbrook/?sh=1cec699918ef

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