The Los Angeles Lakers organization will be under a ton of pressure during the 2019-20 season. These four people will be under the most pressure.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been mired in a drought that the organization has never experienced. They have missed the postseason for six consecutive years, the longest time the organization has ever gone without a playoff appearance.
That drought was supposed to end at five when LeBron James signed with the team during the 2018 NBA offseason. With James on the squad, expectations began to soar. With a solid young core in place of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma and Ivica Zubac, people were excited. However, things didn’t go as planned.
The season was a mitigated disaster. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka went against conventional wisdom, surrounding James with playmakers and defensive-minded players instead of 3-point shooters. To say it didn’t work out is an understatement.
Los Angeles went 37-45 and overhauled everything following the season. Johnson resigned before the season finale. Luke Walton and the team parted ways. Rob Pelinka was given more power in the front office and Frank Vogel was hired to take over for Walton. The roster also underwent some big changes.
Anthony Davis was finally acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite Kawhi Leonard delaying his free agency decision, and ultimately signing with the LA Clippers, Pelinka proved his doubters wrong by signing some great depth. Players such as Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins and Avery Bradley should help a lot.
With the improved roster, expectations have climbed once again for the Lakers. They are back among the contenders in the league with their eyes toward another NBA title.
It will not be an easy road to navigate, but the Lakers should make major strides this season. With those kinds of expectations, there will be several players facing immense pressure this upcoming season.
Here are four people facing the most pressure heading into the 2019-20 season for the Lakers.