The LA Lakers were the most talked-about team dating back to February, when the Purple and Gold acquired Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade with the Mavericks. Now it’s May, and LA was knocked in the first round by the hungry Minnesota Timberwolves, putting an end to LeBron James’ hopes for a fifth ring. That might have been a surprise to many, but one person who it didn’t surprise was Rich Paul.
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Paul, who is one of the most recognized sports agents in the world, spoke about his client LeBron getting Gentleman swept during an appearance on The Haynes Briefs Show. One thing the 44-year-old CEO of Klutch Sports tried to explain is how the public perceives a series will go based on a team’s star power. “I think people really focus on the more popular names and don’t really dissect the team aspect of it,” he stated.
So when breaking down the Lakers’ opening round matchup against the Wolves, Paul knew LA was in trouble. “It was clear right away that that was the worst matchup for them,” he stated. It wasn’t necessarily a prediction by Paul, more of a spoiler. He later claimed that he never thought this year’s Lakers were going to win a chip, despite having Luka and LeBron.
“I really didn’t think that the roster for the Lakers was anywhere close to a championship type roster. That’s not making excuses. That’s just a fact. It’s very hard to build a team for today and tomorrow.” Paul later added that championship-caliber teams have draft capital, room in their salary cap, and assets that can always help the team grow stronger.
It’s easy to agree with Paul now, because the Lakers were entirely outmatched by the Wolves. With no true 5, the Wolves destroyed LA in the paint. Julius Randle had a field day pushing the much smaller Lakers around and finding his comfort shooting zone.
Rudy Gobert is far from a scorer, but he dropped 27 points with 24 rebounds in Game 5 because the Lakers didn’t have any rim protectors. It made Lakers fans miss Anthony Davis, who they claimed they didn’t need once they acquired The Don.
It’s clear what the Lakers have to do to improve going forward. The question is what moves they can make to get there. LeBron is now 40 and still playing at a high level, but this series was proof that he is no longer reliable when he gets leaned on. Luka scored big numbers, yet was torched on defense. If Jeanie Buss hopes to see her squad once again competing for a chip, they need to find a center and fast.
Word is that Giannis Antetokounmpo may be ready to depart Milwaukee. Do the Lakers go for broke once again to form the super trio of James, Luka, and the Greek Freak? Probably not. But after a series loss as tough as that one, the Lakers need to continue to swing for the fences.
