Last week I definitely came up with the worst scenario for the rest of the 2022 offseason. Los Angeles Lakers.. See that article At least I know it can be much worse than what you’ll end up with by the end of this summer.
But it’s not just about being negative. Instead, consider what the Lakers’ best-case scenario for the 2022 off-season would look like. With the official recruitment of Darvin Ham’s head coach and the retention of Phil Handy’s assistant, I think we’re already in that direction. But that was probably the easiest part of the off-season for the team. Now the difficult part is coming.
There are still various paths that an organization can take. Below, I think I’ve come up with some of the most optimistic paths that could turn the franchise into the 18th championship.
If any of the following occur, I will permanently transfer my predictive power to Las Vegas and join Revlon as the country’s latest billionaire.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been infused with Super Soldier Serum
It has been said to be malicious over the last two seasons, but if Lebron and AD are not healthy, even optimal coaching and rostering will be lacking.
And in each of the last two years, they haven’t. But how can I fix it?it’s been Well documented Lebron taking care of his body and being better than other athletes So far. Although AD has the stigma of being prone to injuries dating back to the Pelican era, most of his injuries over the past few seasons have been due to an unusual accident involving his lower limbs.
We’ve all seen the Avengers movie, haven’t we? Now, in this case, the Super Soldier Serum turns out to be genuine. Kurt Rambis finally finds a lab that successfully replicates the serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America, harnessing the GM power of his shade shadows and leveraging Jeanie Buss’ global contacts. I did.
It is injected into LeBron and AD. That is, to induce a slight ankle sprain, you need to hit them with a runaway Mack Truck.
They will never get hurt again in their careers, but they are now struggling to adapt to hiding their super-powerful power and agility. The NBA can’t know about this.
Adam Silver and the rest of the league are a little curious after Lebron caused a power outage across Southern California in the first dunk of the season and AD smashed popcorn in the fifth row of fans with a volleyball spike block in exactly the same game. It’s intriguing.
Russell Westbrook’s deal with Damian Lillard failed
I know what you are thinking: “Wait … is it a bad sound?”
Instead, it’s easy to see why.
Yes, in this scenario The Trail Blazers are really entertaining the Lakers’ progress in putting together a package that sends out Russell Westbrook in exchange for Damian Lillard. The Lakers’ interest in Lillard is not surprising as it was reported in the last offseason. Dame was part of their “Plan A” He and LeBron James I saw you laughing together In the 2021 summer sparks game.
The Lakers’ offer to Dame consists of the first round picks and laths of 2027 and 2029. This is a worthwhile expense given how well Dame’s shooting ability fits with Revlon and Anthony Davis. However, the Lakers actually reject seemingly favorable deals. why?
Nets exchanges Kevin Durant for Lakers with Russ
Many speculate on the potential for a deal between Kyrie Irving and Westbrook.The Lakers probably need to pony one, if not both Irving, like Dame, is much more suitable next to the team’s two real superstars than the current third banana, so it’s a first-rounder that can be legally traded to close a deal. is.
But in the multiverse branch I imagined, the Lakers did one of the most shocking deals in NBA history instead of dealing with Killy. First, Nets forgives Killy and re-signs the long-term maximum extension he desires.But instead of re-signing Killy and soothing Durant, he turned out to be as tired as Killy’s complaints. James Harden And almost everyone else around the NBA.
After Killy’s deal was announced, KD continued his “ETC” podcast, taunting Sean Marks, Steve Nash, and Killy, and trading with the Lakers to form the first superteam after leaving the Golden State. Request publicly and privately. Nets crouched under KD pressure and decided to monetize his contract for a pick at the same time he opened the book for the 2023 off-season when Westbrook’s contract expired.
And for the Lakers … Revlon. advertisement. KD.
Lakers fans might have thought they had a “Big 3” last season when the team bought Russ, but they expected it to be stupid, so these three monsters Compared to what you do, the potential heights of these three are much thinner.
Talen Horton-Tucker will be the next Damian Lillard
And while the Lakers front court is understood, we need someone to replace the starting guard. And who needs Dame when he’s 10 years younger and has an equally talented guy who earns only $ 10 million a year, in addition to a pile of luck?
The THT leap happens when he’s trapped in the gym all summer and spends his time shooting the spot-up 3 pointer after the spot-up 3 pointer until his feet are under him. He then moves on to completing the step-back logo 3 pointer that Dame learned.
After all, the only thing that separates THT from being a superstar was a consistent jumper.
He shoots 40% from Deep, wins a three-point contest, Lakers fans are much less worried about LeBron James, and the future of the franchise is in the hands of THT.
Austin Reaves and Stanley Johnson have taken a big step
The two players who are (almost) guaranteed to return from last season are Austin Reaves and Stanley Johnson. Due to the limited selection of free agents available during this off-season, a big leap from these two young players is the team’s potential limit, even if The Biggest 3 + THT ™ is already signed up. Dramatically raises.
Reeves adds 20 pounds of muscle to the camp and listens to amazing photos of Alex Caruso in the weight room. Even trying to catch him is over, as the physical dominance of Reeves can even produce many “random” drug tests.
Johnson will be a better version of the PJ Tucker — one of the NBA’s most versatile wing defenders, with 90% blisters on the corner 3 pointer.
Well, I’m sorry none That will happen. But hey, I promised the eccentric best scenario after my exaggerated (and depressing) worst scenario last week.
I think the dream landscape mentioned above has a realistic side. Hopefully the Lakers will trade Westbrook.Hopefully Revlon and AD legal How to stay healthy all season.Hopefully THT, Reaves, Johnson are all Leap.. It’s all possible … (KD and Dame nevertheless trade).
Who knows if you’re lucky with a focused off-season? The Lakers were able to find their way back to the promised land for Championship No. 18.
For many Lakers Talk and subscribe to Silverscreen and Roll Podcast Feed iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Also Google podcast..You can follow Donnie on Twitter @donny_mchenry.
