The Los Angeles Lakers came up short in their goal of repeating as NBA champions. With LeBron James playing through an ankle injury and Anthony Davis going down with a groin injury mid-series, there was nowhere near enough to overcome a superior Phoenix Suns team.
Now, the focus for the Lakers will be to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the necessary pieces in order to come back a more potential NBA title contender in 2021-22.
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When asked if this current Lakers team deserves another shot given the injuries the team dealt with, LeBron James made it clear that he trusts management to make the right decisions. However, he will provide his input on the roster as he always has, along with Anthony Davis.
“I think Rob (Pelinka) has done such a good job of constructing this team over the last few years, and he will continue to do that. I will have some input, he always asks for my input, has AD’s input, but at the end of the day we want to continue to get better,” James said, via Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen & Roll. “I trust Rob, I trust Kurt, I trust everyone upstairs that does their diligence and our coaching staff.”
There are some tough decisions that need to be made for the Lakers this offseason. The rest of the Western Conference has embraced going small with lots of shooting around their main star talents. Look at the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, for example. The rim protector and play finisher is in the middle, but other than that, it’s a small ball four who can drill three-pointers.
The Lakers instead opted to deploy a two-big frontcourt with Anthony Davis’ insistance on playing the four spot. The simplest of solutions would not even require an overhaul…go with Davis as the five and have LeBron James fill the four role. That wouldn’t even be going ‘small’ either, it would be appropriate.
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It’s vital a team is using its resources in an optimized fashion when attempting to compete for an NBA championship. Right now, the Lakers are not doing that. Kyle Kuzma is set to earn $13 million next season and the ideal starting lineup wouldn’t even include him. In fact, he’s not even capable of anchoring the bench group as a focal point. Could he be traded?
There is a need to figure out what the long-term outlook for Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker is as well. Both players will be free agents and will receive quality contracts in NBA free agency. Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder will be on the market, too.
