Lake Show Life Roundtable: Should the Lakers Tank?

We asked our staff here at Lake Show Life whether or not the Lakers should tank in our latest Lake Show Life Roundtable.

Jonathan Fernandez (@JFERN31):

This year marked the official start of a new era of Lakers basketball. It was the first time in 20 years that No. 24 wouldn’t be lacing up his sneakers and so far, progress has been made. The team has already surpassed last year’s win total and there is still a lot of basketball to be played.

The next move for this organization shouldn’t be tanking, trying to get another highly touted prospect because they already have so many of those. Instead, the organization should be focused on implementing a winning culture around the team again.

So far Luke Walton has been everything the Lakers could have hoped for. He has already taught the young core a complicated Golden State-like system which relies on the players’ trust in one another.

If the organization added another young player who they see as a future centerpiece for this team going forward, Walton would have to re-teach the system and the young core would have to gel with the new draft pick and learn to trust him and vice-versa.

Going that route could work in the long run, but the team already has more than enough talented young players to be competitive as soon as next year. Earlier in the season, we saw how well the team could play together and they can only improve with another year together. With the current core intact we could see the Baby Lakers in the postseason as soon next year, establishing a new era of winning Lakers basketball.

Shereen Rayan (@SportsCrazee):

I think tanking is ridiculous. First of all, it does nothing for the coaches record (why would you want your Lakers head coach to have a losing record?). Second, it does nothing to help motivate this young team to want to play hard and get better. It’s completely demoralizing. Third, it’s not fun to watch or write about.

Jeanie Buss is allowing the team to try to win while she’s accumulating Lakers legends to help her figure out how to move forward. Kind of a distraction, but also makes you feel good as a fan while the team’s trying to win.

So the point of the season was to try to win as many games as possible with our young Lakers! We all knew that was the goal going into the season when it started. Hopefully, the Lakers will still be in a position to draft some good talent, but the talent we have now needs to play to win in order to be good next season.

July 5, 2016; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Ivica Zubac and Brandon Ingram pose with jerseys with general manager Mitch Kupchak before being introduced to media at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Burch (@seanb44):

Should the Lakers tank? Hell yes, they should.

Considering their pick is only top-three protected again this season, and they’re currently wrestling with Philly and Phoenix for the second-worst record, the ramifications of how they approach these last 27 games will be felt for years to come (dramatic, but true).

I know it hurts like hell for Lakers fans to cheer for lottery balls one more time, and even with the second-worst record they only have a slightly better than 50-50 shot at keeping their pick. But it’s a calculated risk that has to be taken.

More from Lake Show Life

The front office’s main objective needs to be lining up talent that will coincide with the growth curve of its young nucleus — D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, and yes, Ivica Zubac. Everyone else is superfluous. Acquiring an asset in this year’s draft like Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball would be a seamless fit, while also giving Mitch and co. more to work with as a trade chip.

Players don’t “tank,” though. They’re playing for pride, stats, their next contract, to look good in front of Kendall Jenner, and a myriad of other reasons. Veterans don’t give a damn about some 18-year-old prospect.

But the brain trust can tweak the talent on the floor. To tank, the Lakers don’t have to do anything improper or go out of their way to clank fast-break layups. The organization simply needs to look for opportunities to trade older veterans, while also giving younger guys like Zubac and Ingram more of a workload as the season unfolds. Coach Walton already seems on board. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton suggested Lou Williams to the Hornets for Ramon Sessions and a 2018 protected first-round pick. Yes, please. That’s the kind of deal Mitch should be targeting as the deadline approaches.

Talk to OKC, Washington, and other pseudo-contenders in need of some wing help — Nick Young will opt out of his deal this summer, but if you can get anything of value for him, pull the trigger. I love Tar Black, but with his contract situation and Zubac and Moz’s heinous deal lingering, he’s expendable. I’d even explore a Jordan Clarkson move, as he approaches 25 and seems to have plateaued into a worthy bench spark plug.

But to reiterate one more time, yes the Lakers should be tanking the second half.

JC Ansis (@jcansis): I had a chance to talk to Lakers Nation’s Serena Winters right when the season started and we both agreed that this season it’s all about progression and building towards the future. Let’s be honest, it’ll take a while before the Lakers get back to the playoffs, but the main focus right now is to improve every day and continue to learn to play confidently together. And in order to do that, you have to try to win as many games as you can, see what you’re good at and where the holes are.

The win-now strategy didn’t work for the Lakers a couple of years. Now it’s all about setting the proper culture and altering the players’ mindsets. And if they can stick to that throughout the remainder of the season, they’ll play more fluidly and cohesively. The wins will just follow.

I don’t think the Lakers need another lottery pick. They’re already invested in D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. At least two of those names have the potential to blossom into All-Stars. It’s just a matter of wait-and-see for the Lakers, which is kind of tough for a franchise that’s so used to winning. But they should play to win — allow the kids to work as a unit and embrace the system further, while they grow individually during the process.

Next: In defense of D'Angelo Russell

But what do you guys think? Should the Lakers tank? Is it worth wasting another season? Let us know in the comments below!