The Los Angeles Lakers have opened the 2022-23 season in the same way that they did the 2021-22 season: with two losses. After an ugly loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers were beaten yet again by the Clippers on Thursday night.
At this point, it is no surprise that the Lakers lost this game. Not only has this team been struggling already this season but the Clippers have dominated this matchup in recent years. Any realistic Lakers fan was expecting a loss in this one.
However, that does not make it any less painful that the team is as bad as it is. This is such a low point to hit after winning a championship two calendar years ago. Things have plummeted quickly and those in charge are still being rewarded with contract extensions.
Lakers fans have had enough and so have NBA pundits. Charles Barkley did not hold any words back about the current status of the Lakers roster, firing a not-so-subtle shot in Rob Pelinka’s direction.
The sad part is that Charles Barkley is 100% right. This is not just something he is saying on TV to garner a reaction. It is embarrassing and makes absolutely no sense how the team can fall as far as it has in two seasons.
It isn’t just Rob Pelinka, the Lakers brass is the problem.
The Los Angeles Lakers are not a well-run team, period. If it was not for all of the decorated history and the fact that they are the second-largest NBA franchise then they would get a lot more criticism than they do for how the organization is run.
Just look at the last decade for the franchise. The team has had exactly one season in which they won a playoff series. Luckily for them, that one season happened to result in an NBA title. Outside of that, this team has had no success.
It happened before Pelinka came around and it will continue to happen until something changes. This franchise is so lucky that LeBron James decided to come to Los Angeles for outside-of-basketball reasons because if not, things would still be a dumpster fire and there would not be a title to look back on.
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The Lakers stumbled into a title-contending team and have done everything possible since to dismantle it. Whether that be an ill-advised trade for Russell Westbrook or letting the team’s best role player in Alex Caruso walk just to save money, it has been an absolute joke.