Where did it go wrong for the Los Angeles Lakers? Well, we have an idea, but their problems started much earlier than the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers season is over. They were humiliated 4-1 beaten in the first round by the Minnesota Timber Wolves despite being a favorite.
Magic Johnson pointed out how the Lakers lack of center would cost them the series. But before tonight’s match was turned over, writing was on the wall for them.
Annoyed, JJ Reddick escaped from the press conference before the match. And after the game, Redick once again became defensive about his choices.
However, the Lakers’ issues go far beyond the playoffs. And there are quite a few people who should blame their problems.
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As mentioned above, one of the biggest problems for the Lakers was the lack of depth at the central position. But this is far from a recent problem.
All season, the Lakers did not have a starting quality center on their roster. Prior to Luka Doncic’s trade, Anthony Davis filled the centre spot despite not his natural position.
Davis told Perinka multiple times to trade for the centre. And when the Lakers traded with Luka Donsic, they lost all the depth on the spot, and Jackson Hayes began instead.
This doesn’t mean that the Lakers didn’t try to fix this. Rob Perinka has stopped trading on Mark Williams’ deadline. But the failed medical care meant that the Lakers had overturned trade.
And by then it was too late for the Lakers to make another deal. They signed Alex Wren, but he quickly proved that he wasn’t enough to play big time.
The Lakers lack of depth at the center has been exposed against the Timberwolves, with Rudigobert, one of the NBA’s most physically dominant centers.
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One of the biggest question marks heading into the playoffs was Luka Donsic’s ability on the defensive side of the courtroom.
Luka is a great offensive player, but he is an inactive defender on his best days. This was one of the biggest reasons why Nico Harrison traded him for the Lakers.
And these defensive issues have come back to plague the Lakers as Donsic couldn’t effectively defend any of the Timberwolves offensive players.
Another issue with the Lakers in this series was Austin Reeves. Many praised Reeve as the NBA’s third best option during the regular season.
However, against the Timberwolves he looked like his shell, and his numbers and efficiency fell very dramatically.
After Game 5, the Reaves acknowledged that they needed to be better for the Lakers and denounced the Lakers’ playoff loss.
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JJ Redick had proven to be a very skilled coach for the Lakers. Despite having no previous coaching experience, Redick was named the Lakers head coach in the summer.
He will surprise many fans and critics with his unique, hyperanalytic approach to basketball. And his commitment to in-game changes and defensive schemes has been praised for everything.
His tactical recognition allowed the Lakers to win 50 games this season for the first time since the 2019-20 NBA Championship season.
However, due to all his coaching prowess, Redick proved he wasn’t ready for the playoff pressure pot and collapsed.
Some of the Lakers’ decisions are panned and ultimately costly. If nothing else, Reddick wants to take the experience as a learner and improve next season.