Dwight Howard strongly accused the Lakers’ General Manager, Rob Pelinka of dismantling the franchise’s 2020 championship-winning roster. If that wasn’t enough to stir up drama, Phil Handy added fuel to this fire with his latest statement.
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The controversy began with Howard’s remarks on the Above The Rim podcast earlier this month. He initially reminisced about the strong camaraderie the team enjoyed throughout the 2019/20 season. The 38-year-old believed this chemistry was crucial to their championship success.
However, Pelinka perhaps underestimated this aspect while building the roster for the next season. This oversight has cost the franchise dearly, and they’ve been chasing a title ever since. Howard consequently placed the blame on the Lakers’ GM.
“Rob, why you do that to us? I still love you, Rob, but we had the squad. We could’ve ran it back. We would have been healthier for next year.”
The 8x All-Star reinforced this point during his latest appearance on Gil’s Arena. He argued that the roster was already ahead of its competition. Howard thus believed the franchise had the potential to build an NBA dynasty and repeat its success in the following years.
“I just believe that Rob [Pelinka] kinda like, he really messed up the dynasty that we was starting. I feel like we would have had at least two championships and an opportunity to fight for a third one.”
Just as these seemingly overselling comments raised a few eyebrows, Handy substantiated this viewpoint. When the show’s Instagram handle posted Howard’s remarks, the 53-year-old promptly sided with them. He commented, “Facts!”
Handy was a part of the Lakers’ coaching unit from 2019 to 2024. So, his agreement with Howard’s accusations proved that many within the franchise might share similar views.
Given the sea of changes Pelinka made, it’s hard to fault those who criticize him. For context, he moved on from veterans like Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, and JaVale McGee shortly after the title win. He also traded away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, and Alex Caruso in the subsequent year.
Pelinka made bold bets over the years. By 2021, he brought in Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol, Wesley Matthews, and Russell Westbrook. However, he soon traded away these players to settle with new faces like D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Austin Reaves.
It’s safe to say that Pelinka’s efforts to leave his fingerprints on the Lakers haven’t quite worked out so far. He has made another risky move by appointing rookie NBA coach JJ Redick to lead the team. This decision must pay off, as fans are growing impatient with his strategies.
