Feb 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach
Byron Scotttalks with guard
Jordan Clarkson(6) during the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers are tanking. It is a simple statement followed by a simple question: Who should be leading them to the bottom of the NBA?
Oh Captain! My Captain! The Los Angeles Lakers need one for their tank. Judging from the multiple injuries the team has sustained and head scratching personnel decisions, the Lakers organization is in full retreat and resigned to take this season and “Old Yeller” it out back.
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No matter how fans look at this season, there is no way the Lakers can pull in a franchise changing player at the trade deadline with their salary cap situation and the players they have available for trade. The only viable option is to strap in for some abysmal basketball and tank the rest of the season.
The team has an aging star in Kobe Bryant that they overpaid to keep with a kind of lifetime achievement contract which does not put them in great bargaining position for big free agents, meaning they have to mainly build through the draft. Fortunately for the Lakers, they have a top-five pick to turn the franchise’s fate around as long as they keep piling up losses.
But who will lead them there? Who will lead them like the first lemming that jumps off the cliff? Here are the Los Angeles Lakers candidates for Tank Captain.