Villain or hero? A seemingly simple question, but the more you dive into it, the harder it gets. However, I bet that most of you, especially those not from Los Angeles, would answer villain. If you were ever in the way of this competitor from accomplishing his mission, odds are your dreams were shattered. I can’t imagine having my soul crushed time and time again by this one man, so I’ll give you a second to swallow the pain…….better now? If not, maybe the fact that you’re not alone will lift your spirits.
After the worst two season stretch in Lakers history resulting in a total of 37 wins, the Lakers are desperate for an entire franchise overhaul. With a few quality foundation pieces already in place (Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, and Larry Nance Jr.), the Lakers transformation to relevance needs to stem from the top, with the front office. Let’s take a look at all the steps the Lakers must complete this summer to make their way back to playoff contender.
He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was shouldered with the burden to play savior to a drowning franchise before ever signing his rookie contract. Fans gathered by the hundreds to watch his NBA "debut" in Las Vegas for the Lakers summer league games. The stadium was packed, the venue was set, the ball was tossed up, and bang, summer league ended with Lakers’ fans doubting their 19-year-old rookies talent.
It's been about two weeks since Russell & Randle have become full-time starters & it's been very beneficial for both them & the Lakers.
More than a few head coaching jobs are expected to be open next year, including the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and likely the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Washington Wizards. Luke Walton is currently seen as one of the hottest commodities in the NBA because he’s young, has been a crucial part of the most successful team of the last two years, and most importantly isn’t one of the head coaching retreads, which makes him a mysterious asset league wide. Could he be the next Steve Kerr? Or will he fizzle out like Derek Fisher just did after less than two seasons in New York?
This is crazy - an NBA GM saying that they are knowingly SLOWING DOWN the development of players so that they can glorify a player (who got plenty of development himself ie playoff airballs against Jazz in '97).
Maybe he was meant to be a Laker...