The season is now officially over for the Los Angeles Lakers, and while they did not win a championship, that doesn’t mean they have to call this season a complete failure. After starting 2-10 in the season, they managed to make a run to the West Finals, where they lost to the Nuggets in 4 games.
Naturally, the team is facing a lot of uncertainty after their playoff elimination, but GM Rob Pelinka still believes this campaign was good for the Lakers overall. As he explained to the media this week, there’s still a lot to be proud of for how the season played out.
“I think this was a season of advancement and growth for the Lakers. Obviously, we didn’t achieve our ultimate goal, which is [banner] No. 18, which is something we always have our sights on. But it really starts by giving a lot of credit to Darvin and his staff for establishing really a pillar of our organization and that’s the way we compete to the bitter end,” said Pelinka, via Lakers Nation. “And I think obviously starting the season, the way we did for Darvin and his staff to keep the belief with the players and the competition alive at every moment all the way until the last play [Monday] night,” Pelinka said. “This was a team that competed to the bitter end and I think that’s something as an organization that we owe to our fans. It’s something we demand out of our players and it really starts with our head coach and leader and the qualities he’s instilled. So, again I think the way I would characterize this season is advancement and growth towards our ultimate goal which is No. 18.”
LeBron James and the crew will be stuck at home as the Nuggets (and whatever team comes out of the East) compete for the 2023 championship. It’s obviously not the ending they wanted, but the Lakers are still sitting in a pretty good position overall.
What’s Next For The Lakers?
We don’t yet know if LeBron James will be back for another run, but the Lakers are not a team that likes to stand PAT. With or without James, they will make moves that improve the roster and puts them in a position to compete.
“LeBron and AD as two pillars is, you know, to us an unmatched combination that will continue to lean into and build around and both incredibly high character players that want to win, play the game the right way,” said Pelinka. “We’re proud of that combination of superstars and want to continue to invest in that and invest in advancing the growth we had this year into next season.”
Rob worked a miracle with his mid-season trades, but he’ll have to do something similar this summer if the Lakers are serious about winning another title.
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