The Lakers look just as lost off the court as they do on it
It's still odd to see the Los Angeles Lakers -- Showtime, anyone? -- sitting at 11-44, dead last in the Western Conference. You'd think we'd get used to it after two consecutive seasons of sub-30 win campaigns. But when you see those 16 championship banners, you think it must be some kind of mistake.
Then you watch the play on the court and you're snapped back to reality. It's a harsh realization that the franchise that has the second-most championships in NBA history looks as lost as it's ever been.
So is it any surprise that the Lakers are reportedly torn on whether to bring back head coach Byron Scott? Not if you're a Lakers fan who has paid attention at all the past three years.
Lakers fans know all about the regrettable trades (Steve Nash for four draft picks -- two first-rounders -- is probably most egregious.) Even last summer's free-agent signings were head scratchers. Why bring in veterans Roy Hibbert, Metta World Peace, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass when your roster is in clear rebuild mode? Maybe it was to teach the young players on the roster how to be pros. Maybe it was to appease Kobe Bryant and his never-ending chase for a sixth title.
But Kobe -- and his $25 million salary -- must have known coming into this season that this was a lost cause -- even though his "Black Mamba" persona would never admit that publicly. He's too smart to sit back and honestly think this is a championship roster.
It's like the front office believes this team is one or two pieces from being a playoff contender. Not unless those pieces are Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Maybe the Thunder duo takes its two-man show to Tinseltown, with Durant up for free agency this summer and Westbrook the following year.
If that's the Lakers' ultimate goal, they're not enticing potential free agents with the product on the court. Scott has been hesitant -- for whatever reason -- to consistently start potential building blocks Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell. The Lakers' two previous first-round picks have had a tough time getting steady minutes, though Randle has been getting more time in the starting lineup since Larry Nance Jr.'s knee issues.
So why not have Randle and Russell learn from their mistakes during a lost season while also letting the front office get a clear idea if those two players are definitely part of the future? Maybe Scott's reluctance to play the young duo is the impetus of Wednesday's report regarding his future. But if that's the case, why doesn't the front office tell Scott to play the young guys more consistently?
Maybe that's exactly what happened judging from this tweet.
These questions were nonexistent when Dr. Jerry Buss was in charge. He and ex-general manager Jerry West formed the brain trust that built the Showtime era and the Shaq/Kobe dynasty. It was an era of excellence that Lakers fans remember fondly, even if those memories now feel fleeting with Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak at the helm. It's almost as if when Buss died in 2013, the Lakers' mystique died with him.
The Lakers have so much to sell potential free agents: beautiful weather, Hollywood and the chance to restore the franchise back to greatness. But in this day and age of instant gratification in the NBA -- stars teaming up to join super groups -- will this rebuild last longer than any Lakers fan wants to admit?
