Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons why fans shouldn't blame Rob Pelinka

Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons why fans shouldn’t blame Rob Pelinka

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 01: General manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers sits courtside before Game Five of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on June 01, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

5. The Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason was really, really short

Normally, when a team wins the NBA championship, they have about three and a half months to chill, rest and recover before training camp starts for the following season.

Instead, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to restart the 2019-20 season in July, the world champion Lakers only had several weeks to get ready for training camp.

After the physical and mental grind of a long regular season and postseason, that simply isn’t optimal time to allow one’s body or mind to fully recover.

Complicating matters, LeBron James and company did have about four months off between the time the 2019-20 season was suspended and when it was resumed, so it’s debatable whether they didn’t have enough time overall to rest and recover.

If the super short offseason was one of the reasons the Lakers didn’t repeat as champs, that was not Pelinka’s fault.

Blame NBA commissioner Adam Silver, but even more than that, blame the fact that money talks. The league probably had lots of financial pressure on it to start this season in December instead of waiting until late January as many wanted.

After all, the NBA lost plenty of revenue since they couldn’t have any fans at games during last year’s playoffs and for much of this year’s regular season.

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