Following the trade deadline, Kevin Garnett shed light on the realistic expectations of an inconsistent Los Angeles Lakers side. In the latest episode of ALL THE SMOKE, the 47-year-old candidly discussed the championship aspirations of LeBron James‘ franchise. In the presence of Paul Pierce, the 2004 MVP made a bold claim, catching the attention of the basketball community.
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KG refused to acknowledge the City of Angels organization as a title-contending team throughout the show. The 2008 champion even took the matter a step further as he regarded the optimists as “delusional”. “I think anybody sitting here looking at the Lakers team and then talking about they can actually contest in the West for a title is f***ing delusional. That’s how I feel,” the host mentioned.
Following this, Pierce asked his former teammate about the reasoning behind his stance. While answering, Garnett cited Jay-Z’s ‘The Book of HOV’, stating, “Man, you heard HOV. Man, some of y’all ain’t in the category, bro. They are not in the category. They are not a contender bro. They are not better than the first four f***ing teams”.
Due to the inconsistent form of the roster, their lack of activity in the trade market caught the attention of the NBA world. Therefore, Pierce demanded the franchise deal with its consequences fairly without attempting to highlight the downsides. “What do the Lakers need? Why are we keep crying and making excuses for the Lakers?” the 2008 Finals MVP stated.
Yet, unlike his co-panelist, the 46-year-old declined to entirely write the organization off. “I think they got something for the playoffs. I ain’t gonna write them off. I think they gonna get better. I think if the Lakers make the playoffs, they won’t lose the first round,” the 10x All-Star mentioned.
The complexity between the former Boston Celtics duo once again became apparent through this conversation. Despite the differences, they both refused to back the Lakers as a contender in the West, adding further volume to the team’s misery.
Can the Los Angeles Lakers prove Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce wrong?
The struggles of the franchise sustained since winning the in-season tournament in December last year. They failed to win matches in stretches as the opposition exploited their weakened bench and young role players. Due to this, the odds of their championship win decreased drastically in the following weeks.
In recent times though, there remains a possibility for a turnaround as the Lakers have won the last four of their five games. With the entire roster coming together, a repeat of a turnaround similar to the previous campaign remains likely. “Stay healthy. Keep taking the hate like a champ,” D’Angelo Russell recently mentioned while backing the team publicly.
In the past, James-centric franchises have produced several miracles. They have often risen against the challenges to defy the odds. After all, with 28 games yet to be played, the chances of history repeating itself remain a viable option.
