Just one year ago, the Lakers media day was filled with “dream team” and “championship” comments and questions. Media weren’t asking if they’d make the playoffs, but if they’d broke the Bulls record for wins in a season. Fast forward to this weekend and the storylines were drastically different.
You’d have to look long and hard to find a team that fell farther in one year than the Lakers. Take ESPN for example. Last off-season, they predicted the Lakers to win the West and the NBA title. This year, they predicted them to finish 12th. To say this Lakers team is in a different state of mind in comparison to last year would only be the tip of the iceberg.
On Saturday, the questions were no longer focused on title aspirations, but simple expectations for a Laker squad that saw a mini overhaul this off-season. Gone are Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, and a slew of bench players who helped woefully under-perform last year. In steps a crop of significantly younger players, eager to prove their worth.
Let’s take a look at 5 reactions based on what we heard during Lakers media day.