The Los Angeles Lakers are now trying to come back to contention after a terrible 2021/22 NBA season. They added a bunch of veterans that couldn’t get things going, ultimately missing the play-in tournament and finishing one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
Everybody wants to know what’s next for them and if the moves they make will be enough to fix the disaster and create a competitive team ahead of a complex 2022/23 campaign.
While many fans don’t think they would be able to pull it off, a former Laker believes that the team could get back on track even if they don’t move any piece of their Big 3. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook couldn’t make an impact this campaign and many think they will go separate ways in the summer.
Well, Metta Sandiford Artest still thinks that they can work well together to help the Lakers win the championship:
“I think the Lakers will be fine if [Anthony Davis] comes back better,” Artest told Ian Begley of SNY. “LeBron [James] is fine. LeBron is incredible. And then [Russell] Westbrook, not the greatest season, but I believe in him. I think that all his issues are fixable to me, honestly. Every single one of them. He’s someone who I would definitely love to coach. A player like that, someone who you can help get out of a rut, that’s a real challenge.”
He also chimed in on Frank Vogel’s situation, saying that the coach did a good job while he was there, but seeing how hard it is to work in Los Angeles, he understood why the team made the decision of letting him go:
“I think he did a great job,” Artest said. “But it was tough. Lakers are a tough city, you gotta win. And he wasn’t able to get this crew together like fans would’ve liked. So they did what they had to do.”
The Purple and Gold have a big job this summer. They must find a way to regroup and come up with a plan that actually works for them and their aspirations for next season. It’s unclear if the Big 3 will stay together beyond this season, but Artest is confident that they can get the job done even if the trio stays on the roster.
