After finishing 11th in the West, it’s impossible not to call this season a failure for the Lakers. For months, the team reeked of dysfunction, losing again and again in increasingly concerning ways.
With all that said, not everybody has lost faith in the potential of the Lakers’ trio itself. In theory, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook are good enough to make things work.
Just take the word of 8x NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, who said this to the media:
Dwight on if LeBron, AD, and Westbrook as a trio can work: “Obviously, yeah…but it takes time and we live in a microwave society when it takes time to mesh.”
Dwight on if LeBron, AD, and Westbrook as a trio can work: "Obviously, yeah…but it takes time and we live in a microwave society when it takes time to mesh."
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) April 11, 2022
The Lakers never once looked like a title contender this season, and it could have something to do with how the players failed to adjust to each other. As three of the best ballers in the league, Westbrook, Davis, and James had to sacrifice their own game to make things work. For whatever reason, they failed to do that.
So, how do they succeed?
Maybe with a new coach, updated roster, and some time to gel and adapt to each other’s game, the Lakers’ “big 3” will finally become the trio we all imagined they’d be.
Already, we’re seeing signs of better days ahead. Instead of scapegoating Russ any further, LeBron James actually advocated for keeping him and running it back with the star point guard at his side.
One thing about Russ that I’ll love, that I’ll always love, is his competitive spirit that he brings every single night,” said James. “To have a guy that’s reliable and can put on the uniform every single night, you have to respect that. I’m not going to sit here and make decisions for the front office … but I love being a teammate with Russ.”
It will be a long and bumpy road for the Lakeshow this offseason. They face a ton of questions about their future and have yet to answer most of them.
But there is still faith in what the core group can accomplish together under the right circumstances. As Dwight Howard said, “it takes time.”
