Los Angeles Lakers offseason: In Rob Pelinka we trust

With the 2021 NBA Finals in the books, the offseason is just around the corner and it promises to be a riddled one for the Los Angeles Lakers. As they exited the playoffs in a plethora of injuries, the question remains if a sound Lakers team could have run it back to the NBA Finals and another championship.

While the sentiment between the purple and gold player allegedly is that, if healthy, they could have won and that they would give this roster another try, it remains to be seen what Rob Pelinka’s plans for the team are.

Certainly, the short postseason showed how, without one of their stars, no one else was able to step up, and the team struggled, completely unable to sustain a game, let alone a series.

Also true is that in the first part of the season, with LeBron and AD available, and LBJ having a career season, the Lakers were cruising the NBA on course to another championship. Also, when they lost both their stars, they nevertheless managed to stay afloat, still providing and riding the best defense in the league.

Among the biggest disappointments, Dennis Schröder, supposed to be the third gun behind the dynamic duo, and turned down an extension offer convinced to deserve and have a bigger market, completely shrunk when the time in the playoffs for him to shine came.

Andre Drummond gets generally considered a keeper for the Lakers, but there is still disagreement if he is going to be a good fit on this team and make an effective contribution, instead of just being a max guy to slide in to just enhance the star power. He did not play at all in Game 5 and throughout the series, Marc Gasol emerged as a better option and fit on the floor.

Also, it did not help that team shooting melted in the postseason with a horrific 29.9 percent from three.

However, it is fair to believe that at full power this team, led by two of the best superstars in the league, could have made a serious run at a back-to-back championship, as depth and collective effort showed up as strong points at times throughout the season.

MORE: 4 free agents to sign away from other contenders

A few weeks ago, Magic Johnson went on air on several ESPN shows claiming that the Lakers need to completely reshape their roster and that Rob Pelinka will have to do a complete overhaul for the next season in order to maximize their chances.

We know that Magic stepped off his position as president of basketball operations, but his opinion certainly still has a weight in the organization, especially with owner Jeanie Buss.

And on some degree, he might be right about the Los Angeles Lakers

Rob Pelinka showed to be always active and never satisfied. He will definitely try to improve the roster. The Lakers need some major help in the shooting department, and there will be free agency decisions to be taken with Alex Caruso, Schröder and Talen Horton-Tucker. But will he go for a complete re-shape?

It is hard to guess what his vision for the team is, with no public statements on his part, and which decisions he will take in the coming month, but given his recent past, we can be relatively assured that he is going to make a good job and make the best decisions according to the opportunities available on the market.

That is why confidently waiting and letting him do his job is the best (and only) thing to do for Lakers Nation.