Lakers Update - Toxicity in Tinsel Town

The Lakers have been officially eliminated from the playoffs. IMO they were eliminated on February 5th, immediately following the 42 point loss to the Pacers. That loss showed me that they had totally checked out on the season.

The Ship Be Sinking

The above is a famous quote from Michael Ray Richardson, formerly of the New York Knicks. It very aptly applies to the Lakers. After the AD trade debacle, it has been rumored that Jennie Buss will now be taking a more hands on approach. Going forward every decision must now be approved by her. Unfortunately, it is a little too late for that. They have already hit the proverbial iceberg. And like the Titanic, the damage has already been done. When Jerry West left the Warriors, he wanted to return to the Lakers. Magic, wanting to prove how smart he was, told Jerry West no thanks. Now let that sink. Magic desiring to show how smart he was, told Jerry West he did not need or want his input and advice. That is when Jennie Buss should have stepped in.

Stop -Hammer Time

Jennie is now laying down the hammer. The rumor that the Lakers were open to trading Lebron was leaked by Jennie Buss. Not her directly, but under her authority. She wanted to bring Lebron to heel; to let him know that he does not run the Lakers like he ran the Cavs. Case in point. Lebron wanted the Lakers to bring in DeAndre Jordan. The plan was that the Lakers would give the Knicks incentive to buyout Jordan’s contract. According to Jeff Schwartz, Magic never officially presented anything to the Knicks. This was because Jennie Buss shut it down. She mandated that they were going to play with who they had. Again, rumors are that at the end of the season they will have a come to Jesus meeting. They will make the pecking order very clear.

The Chase

The season is a wash. Many people have suggested that Lebron should shut it down for the season. So why is Lebron still even playing? The reason is because his ultimate goal is to catch Kareem. Lebron wants to be the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. He currently needs to average 23.9 points per game. That is if he plays all 82 games for the next three seasons. Chances are he will miss some games during that span. Imagine if near the end of year four he is short a few hundred points? These last 10 games of this season can make all the difference in the long run.

Fate of the Young Core

In early February, Lavar Ball appeared on The Herd sports talk show. Once he had finished speaking, I knew that Lonzo would not be returning to the Lakers this season. A few weeks later, the team “shut him down for the season”. I do believe that Lonzo had made up his mind that he was through; even if his ankle allowed him to return, he would not. And I was Right As Usual. Brandon Ingram’s long-term health and future now has a cloud over it. They traded Zubac which was insane. Josh Hart is a shooting guard who cannot shoot. Kuzma remains trade bait.