Feb 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott talks 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 Lakers are currently at the bottom of the NBA. After finishing with the worst record in franchise history, they must hope the ping pong balls fall their way in order to retain their draft pick.
Kobe Bryant is going to retire soon. The Black Mamba has been a Laker for the past 19 years and Father Time is undefeated, so his retirement is coming soon. After Bryant leaves the purple and gold, what is next?
Will the Lakers ever get over the hump and back into contention? I believe they can, and here are three steps on how they can do it:
1. Be Patient
Let’s be real, Lakers fans are spoiled. Ever since Kobe Bryant has been on the Lakers, the Lakers have been in the playoffs or have been really close (excluding these last two seasons). This means, for the last 19 years of the Lakers franchise, the Lakers have been relevant for 16 of them. That is a very long time. For a young Lakers fan such as myself, these 16 years practically equal my time as a fan. I would even go so far and say Lakers fans are the most stubborn fans in the NBA. Not even the Boston Celtics, the only franchise who has more championships than the Lakers, have been as spoiled as Lakers fans.
Between the year 1995 and 2007 (when the “Big Three” was formed) the Celtics only reached the playoffs 4 times, including a dry spell of no playoff appearances from 1995 to 2001. This stubborn mindset of the Lakers organization is unfortunately, not how life works. Sometimes your team is going to be down and you just have to accept it and just wait. Waiting is the key.
This starts with the Lakers front office. Mitch Kupchak and the Buss family must relax and not feel pressure to get better right away. If they fail to do so, there might be some rash, not-thought out decisions. Lakers fans need to have blind faith and say, “We can do it, we’ve done it before. We’re the Lakers!” Bill Simmons, a diehard Celtics fan and ESPN icon, said in a recent Grantland article, “The Lakers will be fine, even if it is nice to see their fans suffer for a couple of years. Welcome to the real NBA world, you guys.” If an anti-Laker as big as Bill Simmons says the Lakers will be fine, there must be something right.
Next: Lakers Must Think Long Term
Jul 24, 2014; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak during a press conference at theToyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
2. Build Up and Hold Strong
In order for the Lakers to be successful for years to come, the Lakers front office must always have an eye on the long-term future. Fortunately, the future is bright. On May 19, the NBA draft lottery takes place, meaning the Lakers will know where their treasured top pick lands. This pick has the potential of bringing a future superstar to the Lakers for years to come.
The Lakers can then build around him, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle. As well as this undetermined top pick, the Lakers have the #27 and #34 overall picks, adding depth and talent, two things the Lakers absolutely need. Sorry Wesley Johnson and Carlos Boozer, you both aren’t helping the rebuild.
The Lakers can’t solely rely on the draft, they need to thrive via trades and free agents signings. The Lakers have proven they can successfully achieve both and they have shown it in recent history. Remember the Pau Gasol trade back in 2008? The Lakers traded the incompetent Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton (who had off court-issues), Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and two first round picks for a Spaniard whose been criticized as “soft” by the media. That trade was a complete steal. As well as acquiring Gasol, smart signings in free agency such as Metta World Peace and Derek Fisher have greatly contributed to the Lakers back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Yes, Rajon Rondo and Kevin Love are available as free agents this offseason and have been linked to the Lakers, but is it the right solution to go out and get them? Love has a player option on his contract and it will be interesting to see if he opts out after the Cavs finish the year. On top of that, will the Lakers overpay to get these stars? It doesn’t make much sense to sign a 29-year-old point guard in Rondo to a max deal because that will hamper Jordan Clarkson’s growth. Love would also cut into the playing time of the developing Julius Randle.
A starting lineup of Rondo, an aging Bryant, Love, Randle, and a future draft pick looks better on paper than it does in real life. This lineup would definitely win more games than last years’ squad, but soon Bryant will retire, leaving Rondo and Love out to lead the Lakers to the promised land in the rough Western Conference. Frankly, this tandem would not be good enough to win a championship. I’m not even sure if they are even a playoff team. Rondo is a pass-first point guard looking for his teammates to score, and Love cannot be relied on by himself to score and lead his team to wins.
See the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2008 to 2014. Each Western Conference squad in the playoffs from the high-flying Golden State Warriors to the Anthony Davis-led New Orleans Pelicans would, in my opinion, would have better rosters than this hypothetical Lakers roster. I believe the Lakers should consider building pieces for the 2016 free agent class, which includes Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Davis (who is restricted).
Next: The Real Problem Must Be Resolved
Mar 24, 2015; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss at the press conference at the Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
3. Get Rid of Jim Buss
Honestly, I am even a little hesitant about this one. After this terrible season, it is easy to say, “Give this man a chance! It’s not his fault.” And it wasn’t. But Buss greatly contributed to the Lakers’ downfall since the 2010 championship season. Let’s take a look at his blunders.
- Buss overpassed Brian Shaw to hire Mike Brown, even though Shaw was openly supported by Lakers staff. Brown heavily relied on the Princeton offense that never clicked with his players. His teams were great defensively, but at times they had trouble scoring without LeBron James leading the offense.
- Buss pulled off a sign-and-trade for aging point guard Steve Nash. Nash never panned out, but more importantly, Buss traded way too much to get him. He traded two Lakers first round picks (2013 and 2015) and two second round picks (2013 and 2014). These picks could have provided the Lakers young pieces needed now to help with the rebuilding. The only pick that matters now from this deal is the 2015 first rounder, which is top-5 protected. If the Lakers end up losing the pick, Lakers fans can turn and thank Jim Buss for once again hurting this franchise.
- Instead of hiring Zen-master Phil Jackson after Mike Brown’s firing, Buss decided to hire run-and-gun coach Mike D’Antoni instead. D’Antoni had success with Nash back Phoenix but did not have the same type of players this time around that would succeed in his system. Often there were clashes between D’Antoni and his players, which eventually led to his firing after the 2013-2014 season. Let me add a hypothetical question. If Jackson was the coach, would Dwight Howard still be a Laker? Could Jackson get inside the head of Howard and make him a star in his system? I think he could.
- Last but not least: the Kobe contract. In 2013, Buss re-signed Bryant to a two year extension worth a whopping $48.5 million, even before Bryant recovered from tearing his Achilles. Although Bryant’s contract may be well deserving due his accomplishments as a Laker, his large contract has prevented the Lakers from signing younger, max-level free agents who can be built around. Luckily, the Lakers only have one more year of this terrible contract.
In an interview with Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times in 2014, Buss went out on a limb and said he would step down if the Lakers weren’t back on top within 3 to 4 years. Buss’ definition of being back on top is to be a contender in the Western Conference, and contending for a championship. He then told Bresnahan, “There’s no question in my mind we will accomplish success. I’m not worried about putting myself on the line.” This upcoming season is year two for Buss, and nothing has happened yet. We’re all waiting for you to win us over, Jim.