The Los Angeles Lakers have been the talk of the town since the start of the 2021/22 NBA season. The Purple and Gold assembled an experienced team during the offseason, making themselves instant championship favorites.
Nevertheless, their Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook has been underwhelming this campaign. Injuries and lack of consistency have played a major role in the Lakers’ 16-16 record in the Western Conference.
Things haven’t gone in their favor so far, and everybody is trying to find an explanation. The general idea around the league, even before the start of the season, is that LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were a bad fit. Even though they have had good performances while sharing the court, a former teammate of LeBron believes the team doesn’t have chemistry.
Iman Shumpert recently explained that he doesn’t think the players are hanging out off the court, which is a major factor if they want to win it all next year (1:11).
“I haven’t been around the team to know exactly what it is, right? But to me, they don’t get down together. I don’t feel like they’re hanging out. “
Shumpert explained that LeBron emphasized hanging out with teammates during his second stint in Cleveland. That eventually worked out, and the players got together when things were more difficult.
Besides, he said that trading for Russell Westbrook was a mistake, confirming what the vast majority of the NBA world thinks.
“I don’t think that was a right decision at all,” Iman said when asked about it.
The Lakers are wandering around right now. They need to make drastic changes to aspire to win the NBA championship. Some say Russell Westbrook or Anthony Davis could be on their way out before the trade deadline, but nothing is certain right now.
This team is still trying to find its touch in the league. Not everybody believes they will be able to do so, and that’s a big challenge for Frank Vogel. Time will tell how they end the season, but right now, the Lakers are anything but a championship team.
