All of the players mentioned above have led the Lakers in scoring for at least one regular season. And if the final two players listed seem out of place, they should. “Swaggy P” and Jordan Hill cracking this list of illustrious Laker legends is a testament to the downward spiral LA currently finds itself in.
Over
the past two regular seasons, Los Angeles has: compiled a tumultuous 48-116
record, (obviously) failed to make the playoffs, and on a consistent-basis put
out a starting lineup comprised of D-Leaguers, run-down veterans and no-name
players within the professional basketball circle. “Tanking” has become a
routine practice for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, the Draft Lottery
is common territory, and more than ever before the Lakers organization finds
itself plastered with a big, fat “REBUILDING” label. The glorious championship
banners which hang from the rafters of the Staples Center seem so distant now. Lakers
nation finds itself asking, “Why does 2010 feel so long ago?”
Needless
to say, the Lakers find themselves in a state of turmoil, desperate for a
turnaround. There is a heap of work to be done not only for the immediate
future, but also for the distant one, considering that Kobe Bryant has publicly
announced 2016 will be his final season as a Laker.
Lakers
team president Jeanie Buss has made it known that her brother, president of
basketball operations Jim Buss, will resign should the Lakers not make a deep
postseason run (Conference Finals) by the 2016-2017 season. Well, the clock’s
ticking Jim, you’ve got some major work to do.
Last
week, the Lakers selected D’Angelo Russell with the second overall pick in the
2015 NBA Draft. There was some questioning about LA’s decision to go with the
Ohio State guard instead of selecting Duke center Jahlil Okafor, who showed
great interest in joining the Lakers. However, Russell’s tremendous upside and
superstar potential rationalize Los Angeles’ decision to select him with the
second pick.
After
falling short in both the LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan sweepstakes this
past week, Los Angeles has been active in their offseason pursuits. Over the
past 48 hours the Lakers have made several additions to their roster via free agency
and the trading market.
The
Lakers signed power forward Brandon Bass from the Celtics, and former-Raptors
guard Lou Williams on Sunday. While the Lakers are close to finalizing a deal
with Bass, the team has already signed Williams, the 2015 NBA Sixth Man of the
Year award winner, to a three-year, $21 million dollar contract. Bass brings a
veteran presence to Los Angeles’ front court and can serve as a mentor to
Julius Randle, the Lakers’ first-round draft selection of a year ago whose
rookie campaign was cut short due to injury. While Williams has been evaluated
as a defensive liability, he will serve as an excellent offensive asset for the
Lakers. Whether Williams is a starter or is assigned a bench role, he will
provide an offensive spark for the Lakers in seasons to come.
On Saturday,
LA also acquired center Roy Hibbert courtesy of a trade with the Indiana
Pacers. The trade is currently in the finalization stages and Hibbert is
expected to officially be a Laker by the end of the approaching week. Hibbert,
28, is a two-time All-Star (2012, 2014) who has displayed flashes of success
throughout his career.
In the 2013 Eastern Conference
Finals, Hibbert had a breakout series against Miami in which the Pacers pushed
the defending-champion Heat to seven games. In that series, Hibbert was a
force, averaging 22.1 points per game (PPG) and 10.4 rebounds per contest
(RPG). The Lakers are hopeful that Hibbert’s output can mimic these numbers,
and not this past season’s statistics, in which he averaged 10.6 PPG and 7.1
RPG while shooting 44.6% from the field.
While
Laker activity has been high as of late this offseason, the front office
realizes that these acquisitions are but baby steps on the road to rebuilding
the storied franchise. Coming off of the worst regular season in franchise
history (21-61 record), Los Angeles needs to think about .500 before harboring
any thought of a playoff berth, especially in the killer Western Conference.
Good
luck Jim, your sister’s got the two-year leash on you. Time’s a wasting.
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