Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were finally put out of their misery when they lost to the Phoenix Suns, 121-110, and were eliminated from chase for a spot in the play-in tournament.
It has been a long journey since last offseason, when L.A. became one of the favorites to win the NBA championship, and there has been no joy in that journey.
After trading for Russell Westbrook and signing fellow guards Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn on bargain contracts, it was thought that the Lakers had a legitimate superteam.
Instead, they turned into the biggest flop in recent memory.
The expectations were high - and the outcome has been extremely low
Relative to the expectations surrounding this Lakers team in the beginning, this has been the most disappointing team in franchise history, and possibly in the entire history of the NBA.
When training camp started, L.A., along with the Brooklyn Nets, was the favorite to win the world championship, and some overly optimistic fans were even predicting a 70-win season.
But from the start, there were concerns, starting with the age of the roster.
The Lakers were one of the oldest teams in NBA history, leading to many jokes and memes about their advanced age.
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, the two oldest players on the squad, insisted that the advanced age of the Lakers would be an asset and not a liability.
However, the biggest concern about NBA players with lots of mileage — injury — became a reality very quickly.
First James suffered a minor sprained ankle, then an ab injury, then soreness and swelling in his left knee, then another sprained ankle.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis sustained a sprained MCL and then a sprained foot, forcing him to sit for many weeks.
The injuries prevented the Lakers from developing any real chemistry, and as the losses piled up, team morale grew worse and worse.
But injuries were far from the team’s only problem.
The roster was poorly constructed
When the Lakers won the NBA title in 2020, they had a roster full of role players who could be depended on to contribute on both ends of the floor because of their size and length.
Many point to the Westbrook trade as the genesis of the Lakers’ problems this season because it cost them two valuable role players, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma.
But the team could’ve replenished its supporting cast. However, instead of obtaining more young players like Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma, the front office opted for men who were at or past their expiration date.
Anthony has had his moments this season, but he has been inconsistent offensively, not to mention lacking on the defensive end of the court. Trevor Ariza was once a great two-way role player for L.A. in the late 2000s, but at age 36 he was unable to contribute in a positive way in any facet of the game.
DeAndre Jordan, once an athletic, exciting and defensive-minded center, was signed to provide what JaVale McGee ably gave L.A. in 2020. Instead, it was clear he was well past his prime.
As a result, the Lakers have been an inconsistent team that blew many sizable leads and would often give up big runs to their opponent, and the biggest culprit was their defense.
As of now, they are 21st in defensive rating, a far cry from their championship season when they ranked third in that category.
Even last year, when James and Davis also missed lots of time due to injury, L.A. was tops in defensive efficiency.
