Entering the 2022-23 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers were actually excited about where things could go. The hope was that, after a long break and a new coach, the Lakers would be able to find their footing and develop chemistry together in the Western Conference.
But after two quick losses in their first two games of the season, it became clear that before any redemption arc can be reached, changes are going to have to be made.
Shaquille O’Neal Says Lakers Are Liked A Gated Community Due To Lack of Shooting
For one, they desperately need some shooting. Speaking on his podcast this week, Shaquille O’Neal expressed L.A.’s need for shooters and called them ‘gated community gangsters’ for their lack of long-distance snipers.
“They are like a community where I live, they have no shooters,” Shaq said. “They are like Gated Community Gangsters. They ain’t go no shooters. They have no snooters. I could leave my door open, I could walk around in my underwear. When they get outside the gates they talk hard but inside the gate? they ain’t got no shooters.”
Outside of their big three, the Lakers really don’t have anyone who can reliably produce at the NBA level. Between Lonnie Walker, Patrick Beverley, Austin Reaves, and Kendrick Nunn, there isn’t a whole lot of scoring coming from that supporting cast, much less from the outside.
In truth, no matter how good the big three players, there just isn’t enough shooting on the team to confidently say the Lakers have any shot of competing with the elites.
“Last year and this year, what they’re putting around LeBron is an embarrassment,” said Charles Barkley. “Last year, they put them [old] geezers around him. Somebody is not doing their job in Los Angeles. Period.”
The Lakers’ roster was an upgrade compared to last season as they added the likes of Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Scotty Pippen Jr., Max Christie, Cole Swider, Matt Ryan. Last year, they had Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Carmelo Anthony, who were some of the older players in the league.
In the end, O’Neal wasn’t too far off with his analogy. While the Lakers may look and talk like a team that’s going places, fans shouldn’t be fooled: they are doomed to fail.
Unless Rob Pelinka can add some shooting, this season may just be set to be worse than the last one.
