The Present State of The Lakers

By, Myles Gasmin

Contrary to my sentiments on last week's show, I believe that the Los Angeles Lakers are hopeless this season and will miss the playoffs for what would be their sixth year in a row, according to Champs or Chumps. The Lakers are currently sitting at 11th in the western conference standings and are 3 games back from the 8th seed. Missing the playoffs would be a colossal disaster for a team whose projected ceiling was to make a Western Conference Finals appearance. At the very least, the majority of the basketball world thought that this Lakers squad was talented enough to make the playoffs. Although it's possible, I personally don't see the Lakers rallying to sneak into the playoffs.

It's important to acknowledge a couple of things before addressing the issues around the franchise. The Lakers haven't had a consistent stretch together as a team. Whether it be due to suspension

or injury,

the lineups and rotations have been inconsistent. On top of that, other teams play their best games against the Lakers. Because the Lakers are arguably the crown jewel of the NBA and LeBron James is the biggest name in the sport, teams circle the Lakers on their calendars. They understand that more eyes will be on them when facing the Lakers and act accordingly. With that said, the Lakers aren't simply victims of circumstance.

When things go awry, it's easy to blame someone else especially within a group setting. This is how the Lakers have been "dealing" with their issues. Whether it be Magic Johnson admonishing Luke Walton or LeBron James calling out the young core, the people at all levels of the organization have to be accountable. Instead of Magic Johnson blaming Luke Walton for the team's struggles, he should admit that his poor roster construction is the problem. Magic can offer possible solutions to Luke instead of scolding him like a parent does their child. Criticism doesn't benefit anyone is it's not constructive.

We understand that LeBron James has been the best basketball player on the planet for the past decade. Even so, it's hard to follow a leader when said leader doesn't lead by example:

The whole "do as I say, not as I do" spiel doesn't even work on children, let alone professional athletes making millions of dollars. Until LeBron James decides to lead with his actions and not his words, the Lakers are toast.

My advice for the Lakers also applies to everyone in all facets of life: be accountable and take responsibility for your actions. Before you look to place blame elsewhere, look in the mirror. Are you doing everything in your power to accomplish the task at hand? Is there anything you can improve about yourself before you rely on someone else to pick up your slack? Control what you can control and if things still aren't working out, then get mad at the world.

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Tags: Los Angeles, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Basketball, Western Conference, Playoffs, Western Conference Finals, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Luke Walton, Fight, Chris Paul, Houston Rockets, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram, Suspension, Injury, Golden State Warriors, Christmas Day