The Lakers got something right with the sighing of LeBron James. It changed a lot of things for them.
Before he became a Laker, Los Angeles was stuck hoping and praying that one of their infamous young lottery picks would somehow develop into a star. They’re still depending on that now, too, in a way. Somebody has got to be that #2 to LeBron.
Thing is, the Lakers haven’t exactly gotten a lot right with their young players. It’s a problem Lakers insider Anthony F. Irwin recently addressed to his fans on Twitter, and it’s getting a lot of attention.
I’m going to rant a bit, so pardon me.
The Lakers have, organizationally, failed their young players.
Russell gets traded in a salary dump after getting shat on by his head coach and the guy who traded him.
Randle gets benched last year for no reason then walks for nothing.
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) January 5, 2019
Ingram has a disappointing rookie season and then is asked to do a bunch of the stuff he has never been good at and looks disappointing this year now, too, as a result.
Lonzo was impactful last year but please show me the progress this season.
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) January 5, 2019
Jordan Clarkson had a surprising rookie season but flatlined after his contract.
Zubac was interesting his first year but has been mostly disappointing since.
Kuzma and Hart have both been somewhat disappointing this season.
Where’s the consistent progress?
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) January 5, 2019
After sighting these multiple failures, Irwin points back to his major point, comparing the Lakers franchise to a mom and pop shop.
Bottom line: The Lakers run a multi-billion-dollar company like a mom-and-pop restaurant. No shooting coach. Ambiguous analytics department. Shitty assistant coaching staff. Predictable business practices. Nepotism. The results shouldn’t surprise.
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) January 5, 2019
For a team hoping to rebuild their elite status in the Western Conference, it sure doesn’t seem like they’re at the right place internally to do it. They’ve denied trades for their current young core, but what good is it if they’re not using them and training them the right way?
If Magic and Rob really want to win, they better get their act together before they find themselves with another wasted opportunity.
Source: “Los Angeles” – Google News