Rob Pelinka is a man under pressure these days—through no one’s fault but his own. When he took over Magic Johnson’s role, he inherited a young team that needed guidance and a title. The Los Angeles Lakers had gone nine years without winning a championship. He took charge and traded away the young pieces for Anthony Davis, who is now a winner.
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And it worked brilliantly. They won their first title in a decade immediately after AD arrived. A new hope in a decade that began in a quagmire of death and uncertainty. And then he got greedy like Icarus. He saw his team fly and wanted to fly higher. He didn’t care if his wings, Anthony Davis, were made of wax, which seems to snap at the slightest touch.
Pelinka kept pushing higher, making unnecessary trades and blowing up the system that won him the league. He was too close to the sun and fell to the Lakers’ doom. Since their victory in Orlando, the purple and gold have managed a meek first-round exit against the Phoenix Suns. This season is no different. They are languishing in 14th place.
Pelinka realized he had dug too deep a hole but kept digging, hoping to strike oil. Instead, the hole caved in, and he’s trapped. At this point, any failures will result in the New Orleans Pelicans’ success. The Lakers have to win fast, not for a title but to prevent the strengthening of a direct rival. Oh, how the giants fall!
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Not all is lost – there is an escape route for Rob Pelinka and it is in Indiana
There is a ray of sunshine entering the cave of doom for Pelinka; that ray is coming from Indiana. The Lakers do not own any of their picks for this decade, bar 2. The Indiana Pacers want to do a full rebuild and are looking to shop their star center, Myles Turner. A match made in heaven, but Pelinka seems hesitant to take the gamble.
He has already traded away the future for one ring; these two picks are the only rafts available for a potential sink. But the time to be careful is long gone; the ship is already half sunk. The rafts have to be used, and Buddy Hield and Myles Turner could make the Lakers great again.
The move kills two birds with one stone: Anthony Davis is no longer required to play center, and LeBron James gains a proven shooter. a recipe for success during their 2020 title run. The Lakers have shored up one end of their court; they just need two pieces to make them better again.
The Vice President has family in Indiana, and could be traveling to watch the Champions Classic – that does not mean he isn’t there for business
This year’s champions classic is being held in Indianapolis, which could be the reason why the Lakers Vice President was spotted heading to the Hoosier state. But not for recruitment, because he has no picks to draught these potential NBA superstars. He is also known to have relatives in the state, whom he could be visiting.
But if the chatter on the street is to be believed, Myles Turner may become a serious consideration for the Clippers. The noisy neighbors have already claimed a stake as the better team in LA; with this acquisition, they might become champions before the Lakers.
Turner and Hield do not care if they played for the Clippers; they just want to be in LA. With a better team and prospects, they wouldn’t think twice about moving to the city of Angels. They would still play for a better team in the Crypto.com arena.
Rob Pelinka should consider moving quickly before his impending doom. He may have signed a contract extension, but being Kobe Bryant’s friend only gets you so far. The Lakers were not afraid to kick Shaquille O’Neal out; Pelinka isn’t as big a name as Big Diesel. He should be afraid, and he should make decisions fit for a vice president.
