After the disappointing end of the 2021-22 season without even making it to the play-in rounds, los angeles lakers Significant changes were expected before the 2022-23 campaign rolled out. On some level they did just that. He was the only five players to return from last year’s debacle, but the core issues of limited depth, defense and shooting that ruined the Lakers a season ago, including Russell Westbrook, are the purple’s. And continues to haunt Gold. So until the Lakers prove they don’t need to make another move, expectations remain relatively low.
On Monday, all the key players on the team tried to do just that. New head coach Durbinham, Basketball Operations his president Rob Pelinka and the entire roster (except Dennis Schroeder, who’s dealing with visa issues) spoke on Media Day about the nightmare season they’ve just endured. . Between. Here are the biggest takeaways from Media Day as the Lakers try to get back on the road to championship photos.
Lakers willing to give away two first-round picks…for the right return
The biggest offseason question was when the Lakers would trade Westbrook. As the months went by, it became clear why Westbrook wasn’t traded. There were many theories. Hamm revealed he had plans for Westbrook, so maybe he wasn’t as bullish as others about sending him off.there is obvious economic motives to keep Westbrook. And, of course, there’s the dreaded Lakers tax. This is what premium teams charge the NBA’s most prominent teams in negotiations, especially when they’re desperate.
But Occam’s razor shows that the simplest explanation is usually correct, and the simplest explanation here is that Westbrook is widely viewed as a negative asset, and the Lakers are willing to pay him. is that you don’t want to give up your assets just to remove from your team. Getting back anything of value means giving up both available first round picks. We have announced that we are happy to provide pickup for
“One thing that needs to be clarified is that there has been a lot of speculation. Will the Lakers trade their picks? Will they not trade their picks? Clear enough for me.” “Play a game with our team. He promised us on a long-term, three-year deal. So of course, a deal that gives LeBron a chance to help get We will do everything we can, including picks, to do the end. He made a commitment to our organization. It has to be a bilateral commitment, and there it is.
As this offseason has proven, he’s not going to give up those picks just to do so. As Pelinka pointed out, “It takes one shot to make a trade with multiple picks. So if you make that trade, I’m not talking about any particular player on the team, but that If we do trade, therefore, we are very careful about decisions about when and how to use draft capital in a way that improves our roster.”
So the Lakers weren’t happy with the offer they were presented with. According to reports, the two major deals discussed included Miles Turner and Buddy Hield of Indiana, or Bojan Bogdanovic, and jazzThe Lakers may have already traded Westbrook had Kyrie Irving really been at the negotiating table. Well, if the Lakers are waiting for another player with Irving’s abilities to become available, well, they may never make a trade, Roll his player trades will be available throughout the season. Ultimately, the Lakers will have to decide how much of the season to sacrifice in waiting for the perfect trade.
Availability is the highest capacity
Over the past two seasons, LeBron James has played just 101 games. Anthony Davis is even less, he has played only 76 games. Keeping them healthy will be a priority this season, and Hamm promised to do his part. said the new director. Hamm, in particular, is a Milwaukee native whose head coach, Mike Budenholzer, is notorious for skimping on star players’ minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo has never had more than 33 minutes per game since Budenholzer took over as Milwaukee coach.
James has generally been against reducing his workload. “I think this whole narrative of ‘LeBron needs more rest’ or should I rest more or have more time here is a lot bigger than it really is,” James said. told reporters After losing to Washington in 2021. “I never talked about it, I don’t talk about it, I don’t believe it. I could rest more, but I’m here to work.” I’m here to punch in the clock and be available for my teammates.”
However, James sang a different song on Media Day. James said he was perfectly healthy after his injury-ridden season and said, “My focus is on being available.” Exactly what that means remains to be seen, but in a team full of ball-handlers, the Lakers seem to want to limit his playing time as his 38th birthday approaches.
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new culture
according to To Anthony Davis, the Lakers had a training camp shirt made with the word “chip” to represent the chip the team has on its shoulders heading into the season. For the first time since, the Lakers are underdogs. They are neither a super team nor defending his champions. They’re trying to prove they belong in the playoff picture.
No player embodies that culture more than Patrick Beverley. When discussing what went wrong last season, Beverly as an outsider cited the “will factor” as working against them. Will they be willing to do the little things? I didn’t think so in the unit last season. I didn’t know if they had an element of willpower.I didn’t know if they wanted to do extra rotations. I didn’t know that.As a leader, I go to teams like that.If they don’t do it, I do.I hope they recover from it. “
Beverly has a history of instilling such a culture in the teams he plays for. He embodies the underdog mentality the Lakers must now embrace. Right now, he’s the one who does those things consistently. If the Lakers are going to win anything this season, it has to impact the rest of the team.
business relationship
When Westbrook split from longtime agent Thad Fucher this offseason, Fucher’s statement indicated that Westbrook simply didn’t want to stay in Los Angeles. did. But as Westbrook explained Monday, it ultimately doesn’t matter.
“It doesn’t matter if they want me here. My job is to be professional. I just go to work like I’ve always done and do it the best way I know how.” As you can probably attest to in any other job around the world, we’ve done jobs where people at our workplace didn’t like us or didn’t want us in there. As a professional and working person I have to do my job the best way I know how to support and accommodate my family and that’s what I do.”
Strongly supportive of his relationship with the Lakers, it wasn’t. Pelinka went out of his way to praise Westbrook, but the fact remains that he’s making $47 million this season for a roster without a tradeable salary. As Pelinka said, if the Lakers were to trade these two first-round picks, Westbrook would pretty much have to be in the deal.
Until then? his future is unknown. Hamm declined to commit to a starting lineup, but spoke positively about Westbrook’s attitude this offseason. “Everything I asked him to do, he did. It was all about being selfless, being team-oriented, being defensive.” It was a hot topic. Lakers fans are forgiven for not believing it until they see it.
