The Los Angeles Lakers Are Facing A Big What If
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the favorites to win another title this season but after that, all bets are off. The dual-threat of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is worth the price of admission but it’s the unspoken dynamic of their partnership that may cause a power shift in the NBA.
To win that title, the Lakers had to part ways with a nucleus that many NBA teams would love to have. At the time, it was a great idea. But two years later, was it really worth it?
Yes, a championship was won but even that comes with a bit of an asterisk. The Miami Heat was not at full strength during that series and if they were, this would be an entirely different conversation. But what did happen was the rebirth of two franchises and careers that became synonymous with losing.
Julius Randle, once looked upon as a central piece of their future, was shown the door and since then, his career has blossomed. This season, while with the New York Knicks he became an All-Star in his second season in NYC.
Brandon Ingram has been stellar in New Orleans while forming a great duo with Zion Williamson. Lonzo Ball has shown improvement and while he may be moved this offseason, Ball still has plenty of time to make a name for himself in the league.
Another factor that often goes unmentioned is D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. The Lakers gave up on these players the same way they did Randle. Russell struggled while with Los Angeles but as soon as he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, his career took off. Clarkson was to be the heir apparent to Kobe but the Lakers thought otherwise. Now he’s a top reserve for the league-leading Utah Jazz.
While Russell’s trade did free up room to add LeBron, imagine what a Los Angeles Lakers’ squad of Russell, Ingram, Hart, Clarkson, and Randle could have done with chemistry and time on their hands. They were young but as we see now, the talent was there.
But looking forward, what they must deal with now is the fact the LeBron is 36 years old. Time waits for no man and the Lakers are short on draft picks over the next few years. The only way for them to stay atop the Western Conference will be for them to keep overpaying free agents or giving up their young pieces in trades.
Davis will be there after resigning with LA but who else can they rely on? Kyle Kuzma has shown his inability to be consistent and their guard play could take a big hit if Dennis Schroder decides to take his talents elsewhere after turning down a contract extension.
But on the other side of the coin, stands the players they gave up and the resurgence of their respective teams. The Pelicans are still caught in the Wild West but with a good draft and another solid offseason, they will begin their climb led by Ingram.
The same applies for Randle and the Knicks. While not rated as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have made major strides this season. Clarkson could very well end up with a ring this summer in Utah and the only thing slowing Russell down has been injuries. Davis is a special talent and he fits well with LeBron but who’s to say that the younger kids could not have done the same?
A championship was won but at what cost? The Los Angeles Lakers could have set themselves up for another Kobe/O’Neal-type dynasty run. No matter how we view it, the NBA is a business but it’s beginning to cost them entirely too much.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
