NBA Draft Lottery: The Day of Reckoning Is Upon the Lakers

Well, the day has finally arrived. After a miserable season that felt like an eternity, the Lakers will soon learn whether the suffering was in vain or if it was simply a means to an end.

-== Lakers Draft Evaluations: Comparing Then & Now ==-

Although it may seem a bit hyperbolic, I truly believe that this past season was one of the worst in Lakers’ history from a fans’ perspective. Never before have fans had such an incentive to root for the Lakers to lose. Think about that: Lakers’s fans were in their right mind to want the Lakers to lose every game. I, for one, hope to never have to experience this again because it is so contrary to what sports are all about.

Fair or not, the angst brought on by this past season falls squarely on the shoulders of the Lakers front office. They choose to sign and trade for a 38 year old Steve Nash. They choose to give up two first round picks for him. And they chose to have one of those picks be only top 5 protected. Obviously, there is no debate about whether this trade worked out, as it was an absolute dumpster fire and may go down as one of the worst trades in Lakers’ history.

The icing on the cake with this disaster of a trade is the fact that, as a direct result of choosing to only have the pick top 5 protected, the front office is responsible for Lakers’s fans having no choice but to actively root for their team to lose this past season. Just think about what a difference a top 10 protected pick would have made.

More from Lake Show Life

And the front office only made matters worse by refusing to make any moves (i.e., trading or releasing players) that would have made the team worse, increasing the likelihood of keeping their pick. The Sixers and Knicks clearly made moves to make themselves less competitive, why couldn’t the Lakers? Indeed, think about how much less stress there would today if the Lakers had finished with a bottom 3 record.

But alas, the Lakers finished with the 4th worst record and thus, have an 83% chance of keeping their pick. Just for peace of mind, I looked back at the past 15 NBA drafts to see if this percentage held up. It was close, as the team slotted 4th in the past 15 lotteries ended up staying in the top 5 80% of the time. Obviously, the odds are clearly in the Lakers favor but I don’t think that puts any fans’ minds at ease.

This is because Murphy’s Law has been in full effect with the Lakers these past couple of years. I mean, seriously, just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. So, despite the good odds of keeping the pick, I think most Lakers fans are understandably preparing themselves for the worst.

And make no mistake, losing the pick would be the absolute worst. Sure, the Lakers would have a little bit more money to play with in free agency if they lose their pick. But that is where the silver lining abruptly ends. To have endured such a brutal season and to not have a top 5 pick to show for it would, in mind, bring the Lakers to one of their lowest points in the franchise’s history.

I know, I know, I am being hyperbolic again. And hopefully, that won’t be the reality for the Lakers and they keep their pick. Bringing in one of the likes of Karl Anthony-Towns, Jahil Okafor, D’Angelo Russell, Justice Winslow, Emmanuel Mudiay, Willie Cauley-Stein, Stanley Johnson, etc. would be such a game changer for the Lakers, as all of these players project to have bright NBA futures, whether as a solid starter or even a potential all star.

So keep those fingers crossed Lakers’ fans, as the day of reckoning is finally upon us.

Next: Lakers Rumors: Buss Family Will Sell Lakers in 3 to 5 Years

Home/Lakers News