"Like Chuck says, old geezers running up against these young boys" - Shaquille O'Neal outlines the changes LA Lakers need to make to their roster
The LA Lakers have been labeled as one of the most disappointing teams in NBA history, and club legend Shaquille O'Neal has some words of advic. He believes the team needs to get significantly younger and trade all their old players for shooters and athletic players.
O'Neal gave an interview with Reuters and commented on the state of his former team. He gave his input regarding the roster, coaching staff and the star players. He said:
"You keep LeBron (James), Russ (Westbrook), and AD (Anthony Davis). Everybody else needs to be young, very young. You can't have five or six guys in their upper 30s, because the league is getting younger and faster. So if you're gonna keep those three, you gotta get younger. You gotta get younger, and you gotta get more shooters."
The Lakers were the oldest team in the league last season in terms of average age. They were visibly gassed and outplayed by younger teams down the stretch of games. Moreover, their age was also a factor on defense as older players can't defend at a high level.
O'Neal explained why the Lakers need young players and shooters around the Hall of Fame trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. The franchise is likely to retain the three superstars while most of the remaining roster are on one-year deals.
James will turn 38 on Dec. 38, Westbrook will turn 34 on Nov. 12 and Davis will turn 30 in March.
"Typically when LeBron and Russ penetrate, you need shooters," O'Neal said. "And if AD can stay healthy, you're having a different, different conversation. But, no, they have, like Chuck (Barkley) says, old geezers running up against these young boys. It's not going to work over an 82-game stretch."
NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal told @Reuters that the Los Angeles Lakers need to surround the ‘Big Three’ of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis with young players who can knock down shots reut.rs/3xXMMeO https://t.co/500dI4kCnr
The Lakers were the betting favorites to win the championship before the season began, but their experiment was a massive failure.
When people heard the about the star-studded, they expected James and company to dominate. Instead, the team went 33-49 and didn't even make the play-in tournament. It is one thing to lose in the playoffs in the second or third round, but to finish 11th and miss the play-in tournament is incredibly humiliating.
Lakers players constantly bragged about their collective experience and suggested that the team record changes to 0-0 in the playoffs. Not only did they not make the playoffs, but they missed the play-in tournament as well.
If they maintain their core star trio and acquire young talent with shooters and defenders, the Lakers can be right back in playoff contention.
Shaquille O'Neal gives his pick for new LA Lakers coach
The LA Lakers are currently hunting for a new coach after letting coach Frank Vogel go. The season was such a massive disappointment that the coach was bound to get fired.
Several reports have emerged that Jason Kidd, Tyronn Lue, Doc Rivers and others are potential replacements. However, Shaquille O'Neal picked a name that hasn't been in the coaching circles in over half a decade: Mark Jackson. In the interview with Reuters, he said:
"Mark Jackson helped build Golden State before Steve Kerr took it to the next level. Mark Jackson, he made it a very sexy brand to watch, so I'm sure he can do that with LeBron and Russ."
Jackson coached Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors before Steve Kerr took over in 2014. Kerr certainly took them to championship contention and unlocked a new system that would dominate the NBA for years to come. He led the franchise to five NBA Finals appearances and three championships while leading Curry to two MVP awards.
However, Jackson built the foundation of the team Kerr eventually took over. He developed Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green when they were young players. O'Neal believes coach Jackson can unlock some potential with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook as well.
Both the #Lakers and #Kings (interview with Sac this week) are interested in Mark Jackson -- and there’s been buzz building with the #Hornets too. Should any new HC openings pop up, expect Jackson to be front and center.
According to oddsmakers, Jackson is the favorite to be the next coach of the Lakers. Only time will tell who joins the Purple and Gold locker room and takes on this gargantuan task.
@Lakers Mark Jackson is waiting for a call from you guys. If you don’t at least interview the man for the head-coaching job, you’ll be doing a great disservice to not only the organization as a whole, but the players as well. https://t.co/Ty0a5JyBGS