The NBA season has gotten off to a surprising start for some teams, the start we’ve expected for others, and horribly for a select few. Some of these train wrecks we likely could have seen coming, but others have been more of a surprise. Today, I just want to address the Lakers, their current path, and one thing that every person on the internet NEEDS to stop doing.
As of the writing of this, the Lakers are 2-10, which is putrid. Just to be clear on how bad that is, the only team with a worse record is the Houston Rockets, who are 2-11. The Lakers have the second worst record in the entire NBA, and much hasn’t changed since the beginning of the season. My personal win projection for the Lakers this year? 15.
No, I’m not exaggerating. 15.
The Lakers have at least started doing one smart thing this year, and that’s bringing Russell Westbrook off the bench. Watching Russ play in the starting five at the beginning of the season was painful, and even more painful was NBA Twitter roasting him alive. However, once Coach Darvin Ham moved him to the bench, he started playing like himself again. Russ went from shooting near 18% from three to around 36%, and his averages have increased to 17, 7, and 6. However, while the Westbrook issue may have been temporarily solved, it’s not a long term solution.
While his increased bench performance is great, that doesn’t mean Westbrook is the player he once was; his presence clearly isn’t causing the Lakers to win games.
Anthony Davis isn’t helping matters either. While his shooting efficiency and numbers across the board are still solid, AD is shooting 25% from three, meaning he’s clogging up the paint. In addition, some of his advanced stats, such as his Box Plus/Minus and Value Over Replacement Player are at career lows. Being injury prone doesn’t help either, and it simply doesn’t seem as though Davis is any longer a good fit for this team.
At the heart of it though (as always) is LeBron James. For him to succeed, James needs a team of either athletic younger guys or a solid defensive team with three-point shooters. That’s how he won his championships in Cleveland and Miami, with guys like Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, Dwyane Wade, Matthew Dellavedova, and others filling the roles they needed. When Patrick Beverley and Matt Ryan are the best shooters on an NBA team, then you know it’s not pretty
These Lakers are by far the worst shooting team LeBron has had to deal with in his career, and the man isn’t getting any younger. The Father Time commercials are a fun Nike ad, but let’s be honest; they’re a somewhat awkward way of poking fun at the truth, that LeBron is only getting older and isn’t himself anymore. How else can you explain his worst statistical year since his rookie season and getting stripped by players like rookie Dyson Daniels?
While this team is bad, there is one thing that the internet and even high-up basketball ops have been calling for, and it’s for the trading of James. I can’t stress this enough because I hate seeing it: LeBRON JAMES CANNOT BE TRADED THIS SEASON! He just signed a two-year extension, and couldn’t be moved until 2023 free-agency. It’s not just NBA Twitter though; Bleacher Report literally wrote an article about how an NBA executive said LeBron should be traded to the Phoenix Suns. Way too many people are doing this, and it needs to stop. LeBron can’t be traded, no promising deals have emerged for Westbrook, and AD’s stock is at an all-time low. Plus, the team doesn’t have their own draft pick for this miserable season. It can’t get any better for the Lakers, but it can sure get a whole lot worse.
What are your thoughts on the NBA season so far? Let me know in the comments below, don’t forget to follow the NBA Blog, and as always, have an awesome day!
Picture Credits:
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images
NBA Blog 
I agree with you, the Lakers are in a mess, and it will take at minimum 2-3 years before they recover. Too bad, only one thing worse than getting old and that is refusing to recognize it and a willingness to accept it. He can’t play like he did when he was younger, and his supporting cast is aging as well. He is no Tom Brady, at age 45, Brady has a new subpar OL, injured receivers, receivers who consistently drop passes, yet he finds a way to motivate his teammates and win. He is truly the GOAT.
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