Matt Barnes suggests Lakers expectations often prioritized over player health

On his podcast, All The Smoke, Matt Barnes suggested that the aura around the Los Angeles Lakers imposes high expectations that players put before their health

Being a member of the Los Angeles Lakers is a privilege for any NBA player. While each player that comes through the franchise’s doors tries to pave their own path, undoubtedly the history behind the purple and gold and the legacies of players that have led this organization to success are tough to ignore.

That history helps to keep the expectations high and motivates players to continually try to be as great as they can be. Losing in LA doesn’t go on for very long.

The atmosphere in STAPLES Center is one that expects wins. Even though the team has missed the playoffs for the last six years, there was the sense that the losses were unacceptable and that the team could be better.

Securing Anthony Davis in a trade to pair alongside LeBron James heightened expectations coming into the 2019-20 season, and the franchise that has won five titles since 2000 looks to be back on track.

The culture and the environment within the Lakers organization is one that expects to win, and former Laker Matt Barnes on the newest episode of his podcast All The Smoke revealed how those high expectations can, at times, cause players to put their bodies on the line for the sake of going after the common goal.

Speaking about Dwight Howard and his first stint with the Lakers, Barnes suggested that Howard had lost a step because he rushed back from back injuries. He was coming off surgery to repair a herniated disc.

"“I think [Dwight Howard] rushed back. Because I had Dwight in Orlando, and when I tell you I’ve never played with more of a security blanket in my life he was incredible, and it hurt me because I knew, you know, when you come to the Lakers, you can attest to it, it’s just a different aura. You’re expected to win, you’re expected to be your best, there’s no excuses. F— everything else, you’re a Laker so nothing else matters. So him coming back, rushing back, I personally knew that he wasn’t ready.”"

Of course, Barnes isn’t suggesting that the Lakers are reckless in how they treat player injuries, but rather that the culture and winning expectations can cause players to deprioritize their own health and career for the betterment of the team.

Howard, who played just one season with the Lakers in 2012-13 before signing with the Houston Rockets, surely wasn’t himself with the Lakers, and as a result the team that had Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Howard fell far below expectations.

Not only was Howard coming off an injury, but Steve Nash was dealing with lingering body issues, and Bryant tore his Achilles’ in April. That Lakers team and their health is a major “what-if” in franchise history.

Though they made the playoffs, that team was eliminated in the first round despite Metta World Peace’s best efforts to keep the season afloat, who tore his meniscus and returned from surgery in just 12 days.

Howard, now back with the team for a second stint has been an extremely positive addition to the second unit. The ancillary role he is in now has allowed him to contribute to a winning team, despite being 34 years old and having suffered back injuries throughout his career.

Before joining the Lakers again, Howard was shuffled off from team to team and included as salary filler in certain deals. It appeared his high-level career would end on a forgotten note, but he has turned things around with LA in his second run with the team.