"We still have LeBron and he has still got the Kareem record" - Skip Bayless Claims LA Lakers will run it back next season with their 'Big 3' despite conflicting reports
Following an early end to their season, the LA Lakers have a long offseason ahead of them. Change is already in the air as reports emerged of the team parting ways with head coach Frank Vogel.
If the organization wants to get back in the title picture, it will take a complete revamping of the roster. Signing an array of former All-Stars who are past their prime did not play out how they may have hoped.
Another move that blew up in their face was the addition of Russell Westbrook. They sacrificed depth to bring in the former MVP, and it proved to be a failed experiment. He was a questionable fit alongside LeBron James from the beginning as they are both at their best with the ball in their hands.
Despite this season being a failure, FS1's Skip Bayless expects LA to run it back next year with the trio of LeBron, Westbrook, and Anthony Davis:
"We still have LeBron, and he still got the Kareem record... Russell Westbrook, good, bad, or ugly, is still huge box office."
Lakers conducted their end-of-season press conferences yesterday:
“My biggest takeaway was the Los Angeles Lakers will be EXACTLY what they were going forward next year. They will run it back, back, back. This Big 3 will be back." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/QFUTDMY94d
The Lakers would be smart to cut their losses
There is no denying that Russell Westbrook is still a big name in the league and puts fans in seats. That being said, LA would be much better off admitting this was a failed pairing than trying to make it work.
Rob Pelinka said this was a “Disappointing Lakers season at every level,” including himself and the front office in building the roster, to the coaching staff, the training staff, and the players.
At 37-years-old, LeBron James had his highest-scoring season in nearly 15 years. He showed he can still compete at a high level this late in his career. Anthony Davis is still considered to be in his prime and showed some flashes when he was healthy. The Lakers have a star duo, they just need to put an ample supporting cast around them.
With Westbrook still on the roster, it will be near impossible for LA to improve its supporting cast. His contract eats up too much cap space, leaving the front office with minimal financial flexibility. If they run it back, it will be with a plethora of veteran minimum deals.
While most would agree talent typically always finds a way to make it work in the NBA, LA should still look to move on. The James/Davis duo have shown in the past that it can be a nightmare for defenses in the two-man game. For their pick-and-roll combo to work, the floor needs to be properly spaced. As a non-shooter, Westbrook does not help in that aspect.
Getting the team to take on Westbrook and his contract is no small task. But it is essential that the Lakers do it to get the franchise back moving in the right direction.