Lake Show Life
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4 former Lakers who thrived last season and 2 who fell flat

By Jason Reed

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - APRIL 04: Talen Horton-Tucker #0 of the Utah Jazz drives into Dennis Schroder #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of a game at Vivint Arena on April 04, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.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 Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - APRIL 04: Talen Horton-Tucker #0 of the Utah Jazz drives into Dennis Schroder #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of a game at Vivint Arena on April 04, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.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 Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /
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Brook Lopez Lakers
(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) – Brook Lopez Lakers /

Former Lakers player who thrived: Brook Lopez

The Milwaukee Bucks ultimately fell short in the NBA Playoffs, losing to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round. This was a massive surprise as the Bucks were the most consistently dominant team in the regular season. If anything, this shows just how much parity the NBA has nowadays.

The Bucks might see a big restructure this offseason as well with the likes of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez hitting free agency. The latter is coming off of one of the best seasons of his career where he was getting legitimate Defensive Player of the Year buzz.

Lopez ended up finishing second in DPOY voting behind Jaren Jackson Jr. and received 31 first-place votes. Granted, his defense did not look as sharp against the Heat when Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t out there to lean on but it is undeniable that he had a great year.

The Lakers letting Lopez walk never made sense. Los Angeles acquired him as an expiring contract in what was a salary dump that was meant to get Timofey Mozgov’s contract off the books (while also trading away D’Angelo Russell).

Lopez wasn’t his best in LA but was still fine and certainly was worth bringing back as hit fit next to LeBron James would have been perfect. Even worse, he was a cheap free-agent target, so money was not an excuse.

Instead, he went to the Bucks and became a very important member of the rotation with his defending and ability to space the floor. Just imagine if the Lakers had that kind of player next to LeBron and Anthony Davis this entire time.

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