This offseason has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for the Lakers fans. After their former coach Darvin Ham was fired, they faced problems with finding a replacement. Signing JJ Redick seemed to be their last ray of hope. However, it seems like not many are hopeful of any change in fortunes under the young coach’s regime. On UNDISPUTED, FS1 analyst Ric Bucher expressed his concerns regarding the Lakers’ chances of turning things around next season.
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Redick is a first-time coach. Prior to landing a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, he had no experience of coaching any team even at the high school level. Regardless, some veteran players and experts vouched for the former NBA star, asking fans to give him a chance to prove himself.
The trick had no impact on Bucher as he seems convinced that the Lakers won’t be making any dent in the league’s order next season.
In Bucher’s words, “I don’t really see a way for them [Lakers] to get better by the end of the season. I believe that they are in the same boat that they were in last year and maybe worse with the loss of Taurean Prince.”
The 63-year-old believes that the Lakers will remain a play-in team yet again and they’ll fight a losing battle in the postseason, if they get there.
"The Lakers are stuck. The idea of turning water into wine isn't realistic."
— @RicBucher pic.twitter.com/9D9I6rjEZ3
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) July 31, 2024
The FS1 analyst said that the Lakers simply have no talent pool to compete despite being one of the top teams in terms of salary payment. Bucher also stated that it’s unrealistic to expect LeBron James and Anthony Davis to play 70+ games for them the next season.
The Lakers’ high luxury tax numbers will also prevent them from making any major signings. The lack of talent on the Lakers roster has been an issue and Rob Pelinka has been trashed by fans for the same reason.
Rob Pelinka has been under the scanner
Dalton Knecht and Bronny James were the two youngsters drafted by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft. While Knecht has showed some signs of becoming a dependable player for the team in the upcoming season, Bronny is still a long way from becoming that. Regardless, the rookies aren’t going to be the answer to their problems.
Pelinka’s failure in signing good players was highlighted time and again during the free agency window. He wasn’t able to lock in Klay Thompson, who grew up a Lakers fan. The same script was followed when Paul George was looking for prospects.
Even if we take the big names out, the Lakers haven’t been able to add any depth to their roster as well. For a team that crashed out in the first-round last season, this might be a recipe for another disaster.
