The Los Angeles Lakers basically ran it back after a seventh-place finish and a first-round exit in the Western Conference. Not ideal, especially with LeBron James entering the twilight of his prestigious career.
At a certain point, the Lakers need to make a decision: get serious about winning, or let LeBron and Anthony Davis’ final years together go to waste. Rob Pelinka loves to talk a big game, but his actions reek of cheapness. We should probably shift more of the blame to ownership and the weird power structure in the Lakers front office, but Pelinka is the figurehead and thus he shall fall on the sword. We need somebody to criticize and it’s easiest to point on the GM whose most memorable accomplishment is trading for Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers stood deathly still in the face of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, which places harsh penalties on high-spending teams. Rather than seeking a third star, as many fans want, the Lakers kept virtually the entire roster in tact, letting a couple fringe free agents slip away and adding primarily through the draft with Dalton Knecht. A single preseason heater from Knecht should not comfort the Lakers fandom; this team has a lot to prove once the regular season gets underway…