Under Maintenance

We deeply apologize for interrupting your reading but Vendetta is currently undergoing some important maintenance! You may experience some layout shifts, slow loading times and dififculties in navigating.

Sports Media

NBA 2022 Off-season guide: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers

Nov 23, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Lakers
Nov 23, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

NBA 2022 Off-season guide: Los Angeles Lakers

Despite the greatest of expectations, it all just went wrong for the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

With Russell Westbrook joining Anthony Davis to form the latest iteration of a Big Three alongside LeBron James, this was the revenge season, the one to show that last seasons 1st round exit wasn’t what these Lakers were truly capable of. In that sense, the season proved prophetic. The Lakers of 2022 would have quite literally killed to reach the 1st round of the playoffs.

Now, with coach Frank Vogel sacrificed at the altar of public opinion, the Lakers will start next season with their fifth different head coach since Phil Jackson’s departure a decade ago. Heaven knows Vogel tried everything, using a whopping 39 different starting lineups this season. He’s a good coach, not a warlock.

Really, though: what is a new coach going to do with this mismatched, disturbingly shallow and shockingly overpriced roster?

How do the Lakers recover from here?

The Roster

Let’s not mince words, here: the Lakers roster is a steaming mess.

James is still brilliant, but at age 37, having spent more than half his life in the NBA, he’s no longer the tide that lifts all boats. Anthony Davis is a truly magnificent basketballer. A dominant defensive presence and excellent scorer, he’s also apparently made out of biscuits. As for Russell Westbrook….well. Hands up who truly believed that the Westbrook acquisition was the home run that the team sold it as? Put your hand down Rob Pelinka!

‘Oh, but put all of these stars on the floor together’, I hear you say. The Lakers started the season 16-13 before losing Davis to a sprained MCL. That was good enough for 6th in the West at the time. Without doubt better than where they eventually finished up, but not exactly championship material either.

Surrounding those three stars is a mishmash of washed up veterans, youngsters with contracts to play for and scrubs who wouldn’t crack the rotations of about 20 other NBA squads.

Malik Monk was an unqualified success, though as a free agent his play this season has likely priced himself out of a Lakers return. Austin Reaves is a nice story, but he maxes out as a 5th guard on a good team. Carmelo Anthony provided some nice offensive moments. He was also magnanimous enough to let the man he was guarding enjoy some nice offensive moments of his own.

The rest of the roster? Ugh.

Dwight Howard is useful but played too many minutes. DeAndre Jordan was rightfully waived mid season. Kent Bazemore was awful. Talen Horton-Tucker looks overpaid.

Seriously, if the Lakers could afford it, they should just napalm the lot and start again.

Team Needs

Where to start?

Before we go into the particulars, the Lakers just need good, solid NBA talent. They lack depth at literally ever position, though there is an obvious reason for that (see below).

Moving into specifics, the Lakers are set at the four and five positions, as long as James and Davis are healthy (yeah, I know). On paper, they’re set at point guard, though clearly Westbrook doesn’t fit with this team. The options to replace him are frighteningly limited.

Another trade for John Wall has been mentioned often. Though Westbrook is the better player at this stage of their respective careers, Wall may be the better fit given his stouter defense and better shooting relative to Russ.

Another rumour being floated is a trade to Charlotte for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier. Frankly, why the Hornets would do this is beyond this writer’s comprehension. Sure, Hayward is overpaid, but so is Westbrook and his presence only limits the opportunities of presumed franchise saviour LaMelo Ball. That’s before we even account for losing the influential Rozier.

Barring a major surprise trade or a buyout, the Lakers are stuck with Russ at the one. To supplement the stars they have, the Lakers need shooting and wing defense. Kind of like what they had in Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Limiting any trade options is the Lakers lack of draft capital and apparent reluctance to throw what they do have, namely a 2027 2st round pick, into any deals.

The Cap Sheet

Oh. My. God.

The Lakers have three (3) players under contract for next season: LeBron, AD and Horton-Tucker. They will cost upwards of $92 million. Throw in Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn who will both presumably opt in to their player options, and that swells to over $144 million for a starting five that would probably peak at around 50 wins, presuming good health.

So, for those playing at home, the NBA salary cap next season is expected to sit at around $122 million. The Lakers sit $22 million past that point without having a bench. It’s easy to see why this team is so thin.

The Lakers do have their mid-level exception to play with and THT’s contract is very tradable.

The Draft

The Davis trade means that the Lakers have no picks in the upcoming draft. They traded their 1st as a part of the package to acquire Davis, the 2nd rounder going as a cap clearing measure to help afford his contract.

To rub salt into Laker wounds, the Pelicans hold swap rights with the Lakers on 2023 as well as the Lakers pick outright in 2024.

Help is not on the way.

Rob Pelinka must be very, very proud of himself.

This article also appears at leading independent media site FOOTYOLOGY.

<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-154"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Popular Past Stories

<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-136"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-135"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->

recommended stories

UFC Vegas 88 Preview Bets

UFC Vegas 88 Preview and Predictions

UFC Vegas 88 Preview and Predictions A run of underwhelming UFC fight night events begins with UFC Vegas 88. The…

Read More
Golden Knights

Golden Knights Land Tomáš Hertl… But What Now?

Golden Knights Land Tomáš Hertl… But What Now? The repeat is on? Kelly McCrimmon and the Vegas Golden Knights put…

Read More
Juwan Howard

Juwan Howard Out As Michigan Basketball Head Coach

Juwan Howard Out As Michigan Basketball Head Coach The University of Michigan is parting ways with head basketball coach Juwan…

Read More
Kenny Pickett

Steelers trade Kenny Pickett to Eagles

Steelers trade Kenny Pickett to Eagles The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, CBS Sports’…

Read More
<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-134"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->