Getting swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets doesn’t seem to have put much of a dent in the confidence of some among the Los Angeles Lakers.
During his exit interview, Malik Beasley was asked about the ceiling for this group next season if they stay together, and he made quite a bold claim.
“Definitely a championship,” Beasley said. “Just the fact that we weren’t even here for the majority of the season just shows that if we get a training camp together, if we get the first half of the season together let alone the rest of the season, I think we could be really great, I think we could win a championship… I don’t think a team can beat us in a seven-game series again if we have this type of experience and play together and have training camp together.
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To be fair, they did go very far for a team that made so many changes at the trade deadline. They gelled well together almost instantly, but his saying no one could beat them if they had a training camp together isn’t going to sit very well after they just got swept. You admire the confidence but the Lakers are quite a few pieces away from being some juggernaut that rolls over whoever is put in front of them.
Malik Beasley Did Not Have The Best Of Time With The Lakers
While the trades made by GM Rob Pelinka saved the season for the Lakers, not everyone who came in had success. Beasley certainly was one of them, as he didn’t even get on the court toward the end of the playoffs. In 11 games, he only averaged 3.0 PPG while shooting 29.4% from the field and 26.9% from beyond the arc.
He only played 57 seconds in the Western Conference Finals, as the team had basically lost all confidence in him by that point. Beasley’s contract has a player option worth $16.5 million for next season, and you’d think the only reason why the Lakers could pick it up is to use him as a trade chip to match salaries for a big move.
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