By Joey Askin ‘24 As the National Basketball Association's regular season concluded, the Los Angeles Lakers, and particularly Lebron James, found themselves in unprecedented territory. The preseason projected top seed in the western conference, the Lakers unexpectedly limped to the finish line as the 11th seed and had the eighth worst record in the entire league. Following a disappointing first-round exit in last year's playoffs, the Lakers quickly made their intentions clear to re-establish themselves as one of the league's top contenders. By acquiring nine-time all-star Russel Westbrook to a lineup that already included Lebron James and Anthony Davis, many pundits expected the Lakers to return to the NBA's top tier of contenders.
However, the blockbuster addition of Westbrook ultimately caused more problems than solutions for the Lakers both on and off the court, as he struggled with offensive efficiency and turnovers. “Westbrook just did not fit well with the other Lakers stars,” said sophomore Ari Komorovski, adding that “even though the Lakers had a lot of talent, their lack of chemistry was constantly exposed in their losses.” In addition to playing poor team basketball, the Lakers were plagued by injuries throughout the entire season. This began with eight-time all-star Anthony Davis, who suffered a mid-foot sprain and missed over thirty games. Davis has proved he can still be a prolific two-way superstar, averaging 23 points and close to 10 rebounds, but has played in a mere 62 percent of regular season games in his time with the Lakers. If the team truly wishes to contend, Davis must find a way to stay on the floor, where he can provide impactful contributions on both sides of the ball. And even with another incredible season from Lebron James, the Lakers were unable to make good use of one of the greatest players of all time. This upcoming season will not only be Lebron’s 20th, but also the final year on his contract with the Lakers. The 37-year-old has continued to prove age is just a number, scoring 30 points per game for the third time in his hall of fame career. “Lebron makes an instant impact on any team he joins but can not win a championship by himself,” said sophomore Doron Finkel. “The Lakers need to surround Lebron with other talented stars that are willing to not constantly have the ball in their hands and let Lebron facilitate on the offensive end,” Finkel emphasized. With two consecutive disappointing endings to the season, Lebron’s future is up in the air, and he may soon find himself on a new team if the Lakers fail to construct a more cohesive, talented roster. However, there is some future excitement in player Malik Monk and rookie Austin Reaves. Monk, who was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 2017, has failed to find much success or consistency prior to this season. However, as a Laker, he truly emerged as a contributing starter, with the Kentucky Alum averaging thirteen points per game and being a consistent scorer even as the Lakers underwent injuries. “Monk was a great piece alongside Lebron on offense,” said sophomore Avi Tobin, who noted that, “Monk was able to read the defense well and understand when to shoot or give up the ball.” While Reaves was surprisingly not selected in last year’s NBA draft, he quickly signed on to a two-way contract with the Lakers and immediately made a significant impact, thanks to his three-point sharpshooting ability and six-foot-seven-inch defensive frame. Overall, Reaves has made the most of every second on the court and was seemingly always in the right position to benefit the Lakers. In order to bounce back from such a devastating season, the Lakers will need more than just young players to keep the team working well together, and will have to consider pursuing further additions via trade or going after notable free agents. If not, their hopes of contention in the NBA are likely to fail. Comments are closed.
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EditorsArielle Karni Archives
December 2024
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