Speaking up on First Take this week, former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins gave his thoughts on the Lakers; title chances this season. Unlike many fans and analysts across the league, Perkins is a firm non-believer in the Lakers and says their time to win the championship has long since passed.
“When I look at the Lakers, I see a dysfunctional organization right now,” said Perkins. “We don’t know if Darvin Ham is gon’ play D-Lo (D’Angelo Russell) in the fourth quarter. We don’t know what type of minutes he’s gonna get. He may go to IG and post something about Dloading and all things to that nature.”
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it’s impossible to rule the Lakers out completely but there are major questions if they can get it done come the spring. Among those with the most to prove is veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell, whose red-hot shooting has powered a second-half resurgence for the organization.
Not to mention the growing uncertainty with Darvin Ham. While some reports claim his job is safe, others are saying that he could be on the hot seat if he loses early on in this upcoming postseason.
At the center of everything is LeBron James. With averages of 25.3 points, 8.0 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game, his play has been impressive in year 21 but his impact on winning hasn’t been the same, and it’s clear he’s growing frustrated with the current situation.
At 10th in the West right now, the path to redemption is steep and difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers and even if they win the play-in, a tough first-round matchup awaits in the first round. Needless to say, the odds are stacked against this team to make a deep run but stranger things have happened before and the Lakers have some ambitious plans this summer…
The Lakers Will Hunt For A Star In The 2024 Offseason
No matter how this campaign pans out, the Lakers aren’t going to just stand PAT in the upcoming offseason. Now that LeBron James has shown that he can still be an effective player late into his 30s, the Lakers are doing everything they can to build a team that is best suited for his game.
In the backcourt, potential targets include names like Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, or even Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. The Lakers desperately need some shooters right now and any of those three players would be a major upgrade over their current long-distance shotmakers.
The Lakers could also pursue a veteran like Kyrie Irving, who already has a championship and years of experience playing with LeBron James.
But after rejecting top-level talent for the sake of role-players last summer, it seems Rob Pelinka has learned his lesson and plans to chase stars again like the Lakers have been accustomed to doing for years now.
Until some changes are made or a player steps up to become a borderline ALl-Star for the team, there will always be a reason to doubt the Lakers and their playoff potential. So long as they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, however, they can never be counted out completely.
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