Los Angeles Lakers: Lessons from failed super team, longtime rival

The Rival Celtics Are Ahead, and it’s Not Even Close

The look of Kyrie Irving says it all. The Celtics have a transcendental superstar at the helm; the Lakers don’t.

Superstars are a rarity in the National Basketball Association. Although there isn’t a true definition in the basketball dictionary of what one “superstar” is, the consensus of one is that he elevates his team and also uses one area of the game to completely take over.

Boston found itself without a true superstar for years after the Paul Pierce trade. I don’t want to rip on Isaiah Thomas, but he wasn’t someone Boston wanted to build around for the future.

Enter the 2017 offseason. I was watching TV with Chris Broussard on Undisputed. Suddenly, I received a notification of Kyrie Irving wanting out of Cleveland to build a team for himself and to emerge out of LeBron’s shadow.

Danny Ainge made a daring move to acquire Kyrie from the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers looked like they got a slim advantage in the trade, but it may now favor the Celtics.

Jae Crowder has dropped off from his intensity in Cleveland. Isaiah Thomas’ future is uncertain in Cleveland. And the Brooklyn pick doesn’t look as good with the Nets improving under D’Angelo Russell and the unlikely emergence of Spencer Dinwiddie. In return, Ainge received a player who has yet to enter his prime and is retooling his game on the defensive side of the ball.

Meanwhile, the Lakers have watched and waited. D’Angelo Russell was traded to Brooklyn for a year of Brook Lopez and a first round pick which eventually turned out to be Kyle Kuzma. Since then, Brook Lopez injured his ankle, while Kuzma has hit the so-called infamous “rookie wall.” In the Lakers last four games, Kuzma has averaged just 12.8 PPG on 29 percent shooting.

In the 2017 NBA Draft, Magic Johnson himself selected UCLA prospect and Los Angeles hometown hero Lonzo Ball, dubbing him the next great Laker. Ball has special abilities to run an offense with court vision almost unmatched by other rookie talents.

However, his shot consistency and uncertainties around his other parts of the game may prevent him from being a true superstar. Jason Kidd might not be an accurate comparison; but rather Ricky Rubio may be the true comparison to Lonzo Ball. Is Rubio a superstar? No. Rather, Ball might be a great complementary role player or an All-Star in the near future, but he isn’t a once-in-a-generational talent like Ben Simmons.

Forget about what Magic Johnson or LaVar Ball said. Lonzo doesn’t have the maximum capabilities like a Giannis Antetokounmpo or a Kyrie Irving or a Russell Westbrook. This is a problem for the Lakers-Celtics matchups for possible years to come.

The Boston Celtics have been equal or that of a lesser level than the Los Angeles Lakers since the rivalry has existed. Both have had the same level of talent, All-Stars, and championships. The Celtics have moved ahead of Los Angeles, as even without Hayward, the Celtics are still contending for the top spot in a LeBron James-dominated conference.

Again, opposite of Los Angeles, the Celtics showed their talents during a 16-game winning streak snapped by Erik Spoelstra’s Miami Heat.

But with the horrendous struggles that the purple and gold have had over the past month, this could mean…