As the NBA All-Star Break gets closer, NBA fans are starting to measure whether their team has a shot at the title. For Cleveland and Golden State fans, the answer is easy. Their teams have changed their rosters up since their Finals match up (especially Golden State), but both teams are at the top of their conference. Teams like the Celtics and Spurs, have the potential to dethrone their respective conference leaders and their fans have faith in their capabilities, but the task is tough.
Meanwhile, there are those fans whose teams sit at the bottom of their conferences. Teams like the Knicks and Bulls have let their fans down. They traded for and signed big name players but have failed to compete in the league. The Bulls have 3 big name guards with Butler, Wade, and Rando, but they currently sit at 1 game under .500. They have the potential to compete but due to injuries and management failures, they have failed to meet their fans' expectations.
Then, there are teams like the Lakers who currently find themselves at the bottom. They are competing with teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns for the worst record in the NBA. In most professional sports, being the worst team in the league at least gets the team a #1 pick in the draft. The NBA, though, has lottery for the #1 which puts into play the factor of luck in order to obtain the #1 pick.
The Lakers are better than this though. They are supposed to be the one of the league’s main teams. With a total of 16 NBA Championships, they have the 2nd most championships in league history. The NBA logo is a silhouette of Jerry West, one of the Laker’s most iconic players. The Lakers have a total of 23 Hall of Famers which is good enough for 2nd most behind the Boston Celtics. The Lakers are meant to be competing for a title every single year.
Instead, the Lakers have managed to stink it up in the league for the past few years. They have failed to reach playoffs and finish with a record above .500 since 2012-2013 season. Some of this can be blamed on the decline and retirement of Kobe Bryant. Personally, I blame the management. Since Jerry Buss died, the team has never been the same. Mr. Buss agreed to spread his ownership of the Lakers to his 6 kids. I believe that they lack the knowledge and passion that Jerry had. Between the 6, they are not even a fraction of what he was.
The Lakers need to figure things out soon. They have one of the leagues biggest fan bases in the NBA. One of the worst things it does is continuously let down a big fan base. The fans will begin to lose their faith in the organization. Once this happens, the organization will fall into a bottomless pit. This could lead to something similar to what the Sixers have. Their team drafts #1 pick after #1 pick, yet the team continues to stumble. Sixer’s fans have lost faith in their team and are not surprised that their team continues to suck. The Lakers will find themselves in a situation like if they do not change their management and begin to look to the future instead of looking back.
