The Los Angeles Lakers are only 5-4, despite a relatively easy schedule to start the season. They have recently blown a 19 point lead to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a rebuilding team that was projected as being one of the worst in the league. For many fans, there is a cause for alarm.
The fans aren’t the only ones that are concerned or have pessimistic projections for the Los Angeles Lakers. A recent article by Bill Reiter of CBS Sports revealed the opinions of multiple NBA insiders regarding the Lakers, with most of the sentiment being critical of the current Lakers roster.
Top NBA Executive No. 1
“Frankly? They’re not very good. Not by LeBron-and-the-Lakers standards. They’re old. They’re poorly put together as a team. LeBron, as he always did, brought in a bunch of guys he wanted to play with instead of who he should play with. It’s the same story. Rob (Pelinka) didn’t put together that team, LeBron did. And I’m not sure he’s still going to be able to make up for that. Honestly, they’re a shit show.”
Top NBA Executive No. 2
“They’re not as good as we thought they were going to be. And you know what the real issue is? LeBron. Maybe he’s going to be like Tom Brady, but I don’t think so. I think we’re seeing it now. LeBron’s gotten old. It’s here. That old LeBron in terms of durability and reliability is either gone, or almost gone. There’s no way he’s going to be able to carry this team in the regular season, and they need that. They’re not great. And I don’t know if he can carry them in the playoffs. You can see his age starting to kick in.”
Said another former executive who’s worked for a LeBron James team in the past: “I can see that man. Injuries — you’re not immune anymore. And those shoulders aren’t getting by the same way. And if he can’t do that and collapse defenses by getting your shoulder down and getting by guys, the formula of putting a bunch of shooters around him doesn’t work anymore. If I don’t have to leave to guard LeBron to help because he’s guardable, then that approach of shooters around him doesn’t work anymore.”
Both sources doubted the Lakers will finish atop the Western Conference or make the NBA Finals.
NBA Scout Familiar With The Lakers
“What do I think about them? Less than I thought going in. My opinion has changed some, but long term I still trust LeBron to figure it out — if he’s fully invested. But I think their ceiling is a lot lower than I thought it might be. That is buoyed by the fact long term I don’t think anybody in the West has looked all that great. Yes, Utah has looked really good but we’ve seen that before with Utah, and I’d still take the Lakers over Utah in a series. What’s Jamal (Murray) going to look like in the playoffs? Same with Kawhi and the Clippers? The initial results and returns on the Russ fit are not great and those concerns have proven to be founded. But LeBron is the best problem solver in the history of the league.”
Former NBA Player
It’s a tough one because in my heart of hearts, just from experience, when you put LeBron with a bunch of great players, even if it doesn’t look great, it works out. I’m also a big Russ fan. I think what he does can be integrated into a winning formula. But they’re not doing it. They’re not playing the way they need to play to have a player like Russ on the team and have him be impactful. For that reason I’m really worried about it. Twenty games is the right barometer (to judge a team), but I see signs offensively and mostly defensively why there are reasons for real concern. They don’t look like anyone’s afraid of them, and that’s a problem for LeBron. Because he’s still great but he can’t be that LeBron for 98 games. Not anymore. And AD may be the best No. 2 ever, but there’s no track record that we can just put the saddle on you and ride into championships. And I love Russ — I love him — but it’s not working. They need to make a big move. You might even have to move Russ. That roster is too flawed.
As the former NBA player in the article mentions, it’s still early in the season, and twenty games being the barometer for any team sounds about right. Star Russell Westbrook has previously stated that “it’s going to be a process” for the team to figure things out, and thus far he has been right.
It remains to be seen how long it takes until the Los Angeles Lakers look like a contender, but right now, they are far from it. Hopefully, we see the team get better soon. Offseason rust is a real thing, but now, it’s time to shake it off and start winning.
