In 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers dominated during the Bubble giving them a NBA Championship. However, in 2021, during the playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, they ended up getting eliminated from the playoffs. Unfortunately, in 2022 they didn’t even come close to making the play-in tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers had a record of 33 wins and 49 losses.
Personally, I highly thought that the Lakers were going to win the championship this season. According to the SuperBook in Las Vegas, many people wagered on the Lakers winning the championship. More people wagered on the Lakers than any other team. “From the moment the Lakers built this team until they were eliminated from postseason contention, no team had more money riding on them.” Major disappointment.
According to Dan Woike in the Los Angeles Times: “A complex web of problems sank the Lakers’ championship hopes, from a trade for a former MVP, to constant lineup and rotation changes, to significant injuries to their best players. It wasn’t one thing. It was closer to everything.” I think the problem is the Los Angeles Lakers need work on playmaking, defense, and team chemistry. If they change that for the upcoming season, they have a chance of at least making the play-in tournament.
These are the starting five players currently on the Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook (point guard), Avery Bradley (shooting guard), Talen Horton-Tucker (small forward), LeBron James (power forward), and Anthony Davis (center). The starting five of the Los Angeles Lakers is a team that started off as an amazingly great team. And with currently one of the best big 3’s in LeBron James, Antony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, the team should be unstoppable.
In addition to a possible trade for the Lakers, when watching the NBA Summer League, there’s been a player on that team that has been dominating lately who goes by the name of Scottie Pippen Jr., the son of one of Chicago’s greatest players, Scottie Pippen. He went to Vanderbilt University where he averaged 20.4 points per game which I think is pretty impressive.
All the team really needs is a boost. At the end of the day, I still have faith in the Lakers. Let’s see what the Lakers can do in the future.
