Following a 4-1 gents’s sweep by the fingers of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024-2025 season has come to an in depth. And given the lofty expectations held by each the crew and the general public— according to ESPN, more cash had been wager on the Lakers to win the NBA Finals than every other crew—it is truthful to imagine there is a wholesome quantity of disappointment being felt in Los Angeles proper now.
Fortunately for the Lakers, all indicators level in the direction of Luka Doncic signing a max-extension this offseason, and persevering with to don—pun meant—the long-lasting purple and gold for the foreseeable future. For that motive alone, regardless of their embarrassing first-round exit, the sky shouldn’t be falling in Laker land.
Doncic, for all his shortcomings, is an almost unparalleled offensive engine. Whereas within the coming days, weeks, and months, he’ll probably be the topic of a lot criticism, citing his weight, lack of conditioning, and defensive inabilities, Doncic remains to be the only motive that the Lakers ought to be considered as perennial title contenders going ahead.
Whereas Lakers followers are certainly displeased to be seeing their crew bounced within the first spherical, the way forward for the franchise stays exceedingly vibrant. The arrival of Doncic in Los Angeles created a near-universal wave of pleasure and enthusiasm, however beneath that wave there was an undercurrent of understanding that this roster, not less than in its present make-up, wasn’t really championship-ready. So whereas there was some hope that the mixed brilliance of LeBron James and Doncic may make up for a little bit of a misfit roster, ultimately that optimism was largely misplaced.
Whereas the Lakers had been in the end unsuccessful of their pursuit of Charlotte Hornets’ beginning Heart Mark Williams, Rob Pelinka clearly is aware of what he wants to perform this offseason. Whereas Jaxson Hayes, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt made up a serviceable sufficient heart rotation throughout the conclusion of the common season, it should not have been all that shocking to see them be rendered largely ineffective towards the bigs of Minnesota—Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid. Doncic wants a beginning caliber heart, and that ought to be precedence primary heading into the offseason.
Along with fortifying the Lakers’ front-court rotation, the bench unit may additionally use some beefing up, as head coach JJ Redick clearly had little religion in deploying his second unit for prolonged intervals of time.
Fortunately for the Lakers, they’ve a cornerstone expertise within the prime of his profession in Doncic—the identical can’t be stated concerning the Mavericks. Whereas the Lakers’ roster is flawed, their path in the direction of enchancment is obvious and simple. In actual fact, they may even use the crew that Doncic took to the Finals, simply final yr, which Nico Harrison assembled, as a blueprint of learn how to finest construct a supporting solid for his or her Slovenian famous person.
Anybody who’s prepared to quote the Lakers’ early-round loss for example of why Nico Harrison and the Mavericks had been proper to maneuver on from Doncic has misplaced the plot. And that could possibly be placing it too politely. Placing latest disappointments apart, it stays much more believable that after the mud has totally settled on this historic commerce, the Mavericks relieve Nico Harrison of his duties than the Lakers remorse pulling the set off.
