Lakers At An All-Time Low
The Glory Days
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson have Gongfu Tea Cup
won five Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. The franchise is famous for being one of the most successful in sports history, and having some of the best players the league has ever seen such as Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and many more.
It’s hard to believe a franchise that has seen so much talent and has won so many trophies is now mocked by the entire NBA. The most NBA Finals appearances in league history is only one of the many records the Lakers can call their own. But, right now it seems like they won’t add another finals appearance to their record any time soon.
Straight outta All-Stars
In only a few days from today, the Kobe Bryant era will officially be over. Losing Kobe means the Lakers no longer have an All-Star caliber player in their line-up. The Californians are most likely hoping to draft NCAA studs Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons in the upcoming draft lottery in June. The Lakers have a very young squad now, and the only players on their roster that ever made the All-Star team are Roy Hibbert and Ron Artest. Those two look nothing like in their All-Star days now, and are putting up a combined 10.8 points per game.
Western Giants
The west is filled with high-caliber teams the Los Angeles Lakers simply can not compete with. The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and many others have already proven that the Lakers barely stand a chance against them. It will only get worse without Kobe… There are also other teams struggling to make the playoffs with much better rosters like Houston, Sacramento, Phoenix and Minnesota. They have very young squads like Los Angeles, but are mixed with more experienced players and more potential. The Lakers will really have to work hard this offseason to not end up at the bottom of the standings once again.
When Will It Stop?
There’s really no indication for when the Lakers’ suffering will end. Their biggest chance is getting a high draft pick. Hopefully their young players turn into real stars in the near future, or else the Lakers could have a very big problem. A major problem the team faces is they don’t have too many pieces to deal around the league in order to get a star. They depend on their draft picks and the game of their veterans like Lou Williams and Roy Hibbert. Due to their glorious past and being a big market team, the Lakers stand a better chance to land a superstar free agent than other teams. Los Angeles will likely draft a big name rookie this year who will help their young core out even more.
It has been proven several times before, that the whole league can be turned upside down in one season. Let’s hope for the Lakers that something similar happens within the next few seasons.
