I'm not ready to let the Lakers off the hook that easy. Certainly, the players have laid out that case. You could argue that the Lakers suffered from bad luck as much as any other issue. Now that the season is finally over and exit interviews have been conducted, let's ponder, for one final time: Who is to blame for one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history? Folks close to the coaching staff told the Los Angeles Times that Westbrook's disdain for Vogel and general stubbornness began on “Day 1.” On Monday, The Athletic detailed yet another account of Westbrook clashing with the coaches in the film room. Front office sources told ESPN that the Russ trade came at the insistence of LeBron and AD. Last week, the blame game regained steam. Whether they truly wanted to make the Play-In tournament remains up for debate. AD, then LeBron, got hurt again, and the Lakers lost 17 of 21 games after the All-Star break. The Lakers opted not to fire Vogel midseason (he benched Russ a couple of more times) and the internal tension seemed to cool off. It's Kurt and Linda Rambis's fault … just cause. The slew of leaks in the wake of Westbrook's benching was not coincidental It was the result of a handful of frustrated people within the building getting a head start on the finger-pointing. Over the next six months, the worst-case scenario – in nearly every respect - manifested.
In the preseason, Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Trevor Ariza suffered serious injuries and the team went 0-6. As you might've heard: nothing went as planned. They embraced a strict championship-or-bust mindset, talked a whole lot about sacrifice, and began the season as favorites to make the Finals. Last summer, the Lakers compiled the most prolific, and oldest, roster in NBA history. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard sitting out, the team's 33rd victory was fueled by a player on a minimum contract (Malik Monk, 41 points) and an undrafted rookie (Austin Reaves, 31/16/10!) - both from rural Arkansas. The Lakers debacle of a season came to an end on Sunday following a wild 146-141 overtime win vs. The fact that I could easily get to 10 indicated a problem unto itself. Recently, I ranked the 10 people who seem to wield a degree of power and influence within the Lakers organization. Back in January, after Russell Westbrook's first benching, a barrage of reports hit our timelines that painted a confusing picture of who is actually running the Los Angeles Lakers, leading to this apt meme:
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