Rob Pelinka receives a massive snub despite turning LeBron James and the Lakers into title contenders
LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has been a largely polarizing figure within the Lakers' community. However, after his miraculous haul at this season's trade deadline, it was perhaps surprising to see Pelinka get snubbed on the NBA Executive of the Year award list.
Pelinka's tenure with LA can be considered questionable. His arrival ahead of the 2017-18 season also marked a new era for the purple and gold franchise.
Arguably Pelinka's biggest move came when he brought Anthony Davis to LA and subsequently built a roster that eventually went on to win the NBA title in 2020.
However, the Lakeshow was in shambles following their title run. With injuries plaguing the team for the most part, the front office also made some terrible hires, which only exacerbated the problem.
Overall, Pelinka's tenure was marked by a massive stain. In light of this, he was still busy making huge moves to secure a solid roster. This eventually resulted in a recent blockbuster haul ahead of this year's trade deadline.
Rob Pelinka undoubtedly pulled off some unreal trades. With pieces such as Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley coming on board, the LA Lakers became a competitive team almost overnight.
Pelinka managed to flip some non-performing assets into highly productive pieces. This is nothing short of remarkable. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't well-recognized in this year's Executive of the Year voting.
Here is NBA Executive of the Year voting (NYK’s Leon Rose & BKN’s Sean Marks received votes): https://t.co/EN2LYEvD15
Sacramento Kings GM Monte McNair came out on top with the Cleveland Cavaliers' Koby Altman in second. Meanwhile, Rob Pelinka finished in 11th place with one second-place vote and one third-place vote.
It is important to note that the votes are handed in by other executives in the league, thus room for favoritism exists. Given that Pelinka doesn't have a great reputation for being liked by other executives, there could be some room for speculation as to why he didn't receive many votes.
Regardless, Pelinka has turned the Lakeshow into a competitive unit. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way, the LA Lakers are primed to make a deep playoff run.
Read: "Deserves the Nobel prize": Hilarious Rob Pelinka memes erupt as internet lavishes praise over Rui Hachimura masterclass
LeBron James and the LA Lakers take Game 1 against Golden State
The LA Lakers managed to shock many fans with a 117-112 win against the Golden State Warriors in Game 1. With a match-up for the ages in the books, the 17-time champions came out on top with Anthony Davis leading the way.
Davis' incredible performance of 30 points and 23 rebounds set the tone for the game. LeBron James followed with a double-double of his own.
Anthony Davis becomes the first Laker since Shaq with a 30-20 playoff game 🔥 https://t.co/2qADt4rN5W
With a win on the road, the Lakers have taken some control of the series. However, given Golden State's championship DNA, this series is far from over.