Just as the dust from the offseason was settling, the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off the blockbuster move of the year. They agreed to a trade that sent Julius Randle to Minneapolis and brought Karl-Anthony Towns to Manhattan. While this had the NBA scratching their heads about the shift in title odds, Kendrick Perkins seized this moment to take a jab at the Los Angeles Lakers.
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His frustration stemmed from the franchise’s decision to hire their new head athletic trainer, Dr. Vanessa Brooks. She brings a wealth of NBA experience to the Lakers’ backroom. She spent the last five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder as their physical therapist and athletic trainer.
“The NBA is NBA’ing meanwhile the Lakers are hiring their trainers.”
The NBA is NBA’ing meanwhile the Lakers are hiring their trainers. https://t.co/0sajpdg05S
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) September 28, 2024
Perkins‘ jab was justified to a certain extent. The Lakers failed to upgrade their roster after another disappointing season. Instead, they focused on retaining most of last year’s players. Although they added rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James to the mix, there remains skepticism about their ability to make an immediate impact.
However, a counterargument can also be made. The Lakers lack lucrative tradable assets at the moment. As a result, they considered player retention a better alternative to a complete roster overhaul.
Their new head coach, JJ Redick, realized this long ago. He consequently has been vocal about the importance of improving the infrastructure and the existing roster. The hiring of Dr. Brooks thus fits this vision perfectly. After all, she can work closely with the NBA stars to improve their conditioning and fitness ahead of games.
As it stands, the Lakers look set to rely on this strategy for the next few years. They also might focus on making the most out of their draft picks instead of making outright trade moves for a superstar. This is the new direction the franchise wants to pursue, and fans have to get accustomed to it.
