I think Lakers fans had WILD expectations of what their time with LeBron would be like. I remember people talking about how they'd be going to the Finals every year, just like LeBron did in the East, but that was just unrealistic.
LeBron was not as good in 2019 as he was in 2015, the Lakers didn't have the super of superteam LeBron normally built around himself, and the West WAS NOT AS WEAK AS THE EAST WAS. LeBron was competing with teams like the Warriors in 2018, 2019 and 2022 the Suns and Clippers in 2021, the Mavs in 2022 and 2024, the Nuggets a bunch of years, etc. The East didn't produce teams like that when LeBron was dominating and going to the Finals every year.
Honestly, I genuinely believe if not for the COVID situation in 2020, the Lakers wouldn't have won even a single title with LeBron. The Lakers benefitted so much from that break in the season to rest and recover. Can you imagine if that season was a normal season and the Lakers had LeBron for SEVEN YEARS and never even once made the NBA Finals, let alone won one?
Spotrac is telling me the Lakers are paying 65% of their salary cap this season (and 69% next season) to just LeBron and AD.
Once you have the remaining 30-35% left over to fill out the other 13 or so spots, it gets very difficult very quickly.
And they can’t really tank enough for that high draft pick as that would eat up a decent % of cap space in advance. Do they have a true LeBron/AD succession plan to re-up with some future star FAs ? I doubt they’ll go the Randle/Russell/Ingram/Ball draft path again when LeBron & AD leave.
I feel like saying that this Lakers roster has a ceiling is a bit of an oversell. I feel like when I see them on the floor without AD or Lebron that their ceiling is about as high as mid-nba roserter's basement.
Let’s not get it mistaken, Darvin Ham was a pretty bad head coach. I think it’s just a matter of a lot of the league getting better and a lot of players on the Lakers regressing. Like Dlo has been absolutely terrible this season. The past few games have been pretty bad, but I also feel like a lot of people are overreacting bc the west is so wide open and no team is a lock. Like people early in the season were saying the Warriors were title contenders and suddenly they’re on a 5 game losing streak. Idk I think people, specifically Lakers fans, are overreacting like crazy
8 Comments
I think Lakers fans had WILD expectations of what their time with LeBron would be like. I remember people talking about how they'd be going to the Finals every year, just like LeBron did in the East, but that was just unrealistic.
LeBron was not as good in 2019 as he was in 2015, the Lakers didn't have the super of superteam LeBron normally built around himself, and the West WAS NOT AS WEAK AS THE EAST WAS. LeBron was competing with teams like the Warriors in 2018, 2019 and 2022 the Suns and Clippers in 2021, the Mavs in 2022 and 2024, the Nuggets a bunch of years, etc. The East didn't produce teams like that when LeBron was dominating and going to the Finals every year.
Honestly, I genuinely believe if not for the COVID situation in 2020, the Lakers wouldn't have won even a single title with LeBron. The Lakers benefitted so much from that break in the season to rest and recover. Can you imagine if that season was a normal season and the Lakers had LeBron for SEVEN YEARS and never even once made the NBA Finals, let alone won one?
Spotrac is telling me the Lakers are paying 65% of their salary cap this season (and 69% next season) to just LeBron and AD.
Once you have the remaining 30-35% left over to fill out the other 13 or so spots, it gets very difficult very quickly.
And they can’t really tank enough for that high draft pick as that would eat up a decent % of cap space in advance. Do they have a true LeBron/AD succession plan to re-up with some future star FAs ? I doubt they’ll go the Randle/Russell/Ingram/Ball draft path again when LeBron & AD leave.
Bronny was the biggest move😂
Being in a big market fools a lot of people, but the Lakers are run like a mom and pop organization.
I feel like saying that this Lakers roster has a ceiling is a bit of an oversell. I feel like when I see them on the floor without AD or Lebron that their ceiling is about as high as mid-nba roserter's basement.
i'm not gonna say they deserve it, but they deserve it.
their biggest move after the trade for AD has been getting rid of every player from the bubble squad except AD and LeBron
Let’s not get it mistaken, Darvin Ham was a pretty bad head coach. I think it’s just a matter of a lot of the league getting better and a lot of players on the Lakers regressing. Like Dlo has been absolutely terrible this season. The past few games have been pretty bad, but I also feel like a lot of people are overreacting bc the west is so wide open and no team is a lock. Like people early in the season were saying the Warriors were title contenders and suddenly they’re on a 5 game losing streak. Idk I think people, specifically Lakers fans, are overreacting like crazy