LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers certainly had the most disappointing season in the 2021-22 NBA by far.
Advertisement
Coming in as the second odd on favorites to win the title, the Lakers were stacked. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the off-season trade for Russell Westbrook, the Purple and Gold were a great team on paper.
But in reality, injuries and poor roster construction painted a different picture. Never really settling in as a cohesive unit, the Lakers’ relied a lot on the individual talents of James or Davis. While LBJ flourished with game-breaking numbers at the age of 37, the lack of depth meant that Lakers struggled.
Their struggles, especially in the defensive end, were pretty glaring, giving away crucial leads multiple times. Given how the roster never really gelled and stars like Westbrook and Davis failed to show up many times, the Lakers ended the season as the 11th seed in the West.
Lakers’ blame LeBron James and Klutch Sports for acquiring Russell Westbrook
There is certainly no denying the star power of LBJ. While he is a stud on the court, his off the court impact is pretty well-known, especially when it comes to roster construction.
Be it the decision to team up with AD in the Lakers or bringing in veterans like Carmelo Anthony this season, LBJ was critical in the same. While many claim that the Westbrook deal led to the downfall of the Lakers, it seems like LeBron and Klutch Sports’ hands were all over the supposed move.’
In a recent post, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus claimed that it was Klutch Sports who pressured the Lakers to sign Russ. “James certainly has a strong influence on the Lakers’ decision-making,……. Multiple sources indicate the team’s front office is internally blaming pressure from Klutch Sports Group (representing both James and Davis) for Westbrook.”
It’s safe to say that the Brodie in Lakers’ experiment bombed. This is certainly not the first time LBJ and Klutch Sports-led teams have disappointed. In the 2017-18 season, James, along with Dwyane Wade and a bunch of veterans, struggled due to which the Cavs had to pull the trigger in bringing in younger, unproven talents.
With an off-season coming up, the Lakers will definitely look to make some major moves. What do you think will be the next step for the record NBA champions?
