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 staff and the general public— according to ESPN, more cash had been guess on the Lakers to win the NBA Finals than every other staff—it is honest to imagine there is a wholesome quantity of disappointment being felt in Los Angeles proper now.
Fortunately for the Lakers, all indicators level in direction of Luka Doncic signing a max-extension this offseason, and persevering with to don—pun supposed—the long-lasting purple and gold for the foreseeable future. For that cause alone, regardless of their embarrassing first-round exit, the sky will not 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 doubtless be the topic of a lot criticism, citing his weight, lack of conditioning, and defensive inabilities, Doncic continues to be the only cause that the Lakers must be considered as perennial title contenders going ahead.
Whereas Lakers followers are absolutely displeased to be seeing their staff 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, at the least in its present make-up, wasn’t actually 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 middle rotation through 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 middle, and that must 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 durations 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 direction of enchancment is obvious and easy. In reality, they may even use the staff that Doncic took to the Finals, simply final yr, which Nico Harrison assembled, as a blueprint of how you can finest construct a supporting solid for his or her Slovenian celebrity.
Anybody who’s prepared to quote the Lakers’ early-round loss for instance 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 way more believable that when the mud has absolutely settled on this historic commerce, the Mavericks relieve Nico Harrison of his duties than the Lakers remorse pulling the set off.
