The Los Angeles Lakers held their media day on Monday ahead of the team officially opening training camp on Tuesday. Despite all of the trade rumors from the summer and the fact that the Lakers are coming off of the most disappointing season in franchise history, the team really tried to push this narrative of positivity for the 2022-23 season.
Obviously, the team was not going to come out and outwardly say that they do not have high expectations for the 2022-23 season. It is still interesting how LA is trying to stir up buzz for this upcoming season when every Lakers fan can see right through it.
Every Lakers fan can also see right through the lies that general manager Rob Pelinka is already starting to say about his commitment to building a contender. Pelinka assured the media that he is going to do whatever it takes to commit to winning a championship, including trading the team’s two unprotected first-round picks.
Rob Pelinka says that the Lakers will do everything they can to improve the roster — including trading first-round picks — because of the commitment that LeBron James gave them this summer by signing an extension.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 26, 2022
So let me get this straight, Rob Pelinka is committing to doing the thing that he already refused to do for the last few months in the summer? Got it.
This is an outward lie to Lakers fans by Rob Pelinka.
If Rob Pelinka was really going to do everything he could do to improve the team he would have packaged the two first-round picks with Russell Westbrook for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. That was obviously the best package that the Lakers could get for Westbrook and would have created a dynamic contender.
Instead, LA is running it back with this idea that Westbrook is suddenly going to change and be completely different from the guy he was last year or throughout the rest of his career. This is the same exact thing the team sold itself last year when they brought Westbrook in.
There are not suddenly going to be better packages available for Westbrook this season. That was the best the team can do and is it really worth doing it at the deadline if the price is the same? At that point, the Lakers may be in such a big rut that trading Westbrook doesn’t even matter, which would result in another wasted season.
If the Lakers don’t want to sell the future and are okay being a middling team this year (assuming LeBron James is fine with it) then okay. But to turn around and pitch this narrative that the front office is doing everything it can to win the title?
Rob Pelinka confirms Patrick Beverley’s ridiculous role on the Lakers
During Los Angeles Lakers media day on Monday, Rob Pelinka confirmed that the team has a ridiculous role in mind for Patrick Beverley.
This is not new for the team, though, which decided to pinch pennies last year but still pitch the idea that they were doing everything in their power to win a title. Unfortunately, the 2022-23 season will be more of the same.