Following a disappointing finish in LeBron James’ first year with the team and a legend leaving the front office, here are five things the Los Angeles Lakers can do to turn things around.
I think it’s safe to say that 37-45 isn’t exactly what the Los Angeles Lakers had in mind when they signed LeBron James last summer, was it? After a disappointing 2018-19 campaign, a season that saw L.A. miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive time, adding to the longest stretch in team history (the previous high was two), the Lakers enter the offseason with a lot of problems and only a few months to fix them.
The Lakers certainly picked up some big wins this past season and looked ready to get themselves back into the postseason but when LeBron James went down with an injury, the rest of the team couldn’t pick up the pieces. When LeBron returned, others caught the injury bug and that was that. L.A. finished 10th in the Western Conference, 11 games behind the eighth-seeded Clippers and that was apparently enough for Magic Johnson, who abruptly resigned from his position just hours before the team’s season finale.
The end of the season also saw the end of Luke Walton’s tenure with the Lakers. In three seasons as head coach, Walton had a 98-148 record and the two sides agreed to mutually part ways. Walton almost immediately signed with the Sacramento Kings and it looked like the team was going to go with Tyronn Lue but negotiations came to a halt and that’s not going to happen.
There were flashes of brilliance this season that really got Lakers fans excited but it just never all came together. We all know what LeBron can do but the young core of this team really started to make an impact when they were all healthy. Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma all showed improvements during the year. Other injuries and a potential trade that went south all contributed to a messy season that Lakers fans want to forget.
However, there is still a ton of talent on this basketball team and with some front office maneuvers, a lottery pick looming, a few roster changes and perhaps a big splash on the horizon, the Lakers could quickly turn things around and put themselves right back into contention in the Western Conference next season. So here’s a look at five things that could be done to improve the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.