LeBron James #6, Anthony Davis #3 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Lakers should be concerned about this nightmare scenario
Beginning the season as a 2-10 disaster, the Lakers, while gaining some momentum over time, are still falling short of expectations considering the wealthy franchise is led by three all-time players. Los Angeles went on a brief three-game streak, starting with a defeat of Brooklyn in their notable matchup with the Nets on Nov. 13. Since then, the Lakers have gone 15-11 but remain four games under .500 at 17-21, 12th in the West, and two games out of the play-in game.
The team’s primary saving grace has been Anthony Davis. Davis, who had been one of the league’s best players and was playing his best basketball as a Laker since the NBA bubble in Disney, is now out indefinitely with an injury.
Of course, that forces Darvin Ham to put significant mileage on the accustomed, well-balanced mind and body of LeBron James. At 38, James has been averaging a stellar 34.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists on 58 percent shooting in his last 10 games. However, the team’s struggles have left Laker fans and those around the league disappointed due to the way Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka have maximized his remaining and possibly best years.
James has shown frustration following recent losses, foreshadowing a potential future showdown between him and the Laker front office. The most serious concern is the possibility of James and the team missing the postseason and even the play-in game again.
The Lakers are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The Lakers’ underperformance this season comes at an additional cost. In exchange for Anthony Davis, the Lakers gave up the majority of their draft assets to the New Orleans Pelicans. In fact, the Pelicans have the right to swap picks with the Lakers this June, which could lead to a plethora of problems for Jeanie Buss’s team.
The Pelicans taking on the Lakers’ pick could set the Lakers back in their process of returning to legitimate title contention more than one would imagine. Not only would it preclude Los Angeles from adding impactful youth, shooting, and athleticism to complement its stars, but it would also remove a trade chip, one that could have potentially increased the chances of a Westbrook sign-and-trade.
Most of all, New Orleans is already arguably the best in the West, principally because of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Adding a major prospect at the expense of the Lakers could create a gap between the Pels and the rest of the West, maybe even the NBA.
