"The front office is going to do whatever it takes to make it better" - LeBron James places his confidence in LA Lakers management despite horrendous 2021/22 season
The NBA season was riddled with obstacles and injuries for LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers. The Purple and Gold finished 33-49 in a disastrous season.
James spoke to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell in his exit interview and had quite a lot of thoughts to share. The four-time champion reiterated his desire to remain with the franchise and emphasized that the goal was to bring another championship to the city.
"I want to do it again," James said.
James also provided his thoughts on the front office. He talked about how he believes they will match his ambitions and desires in pursuing another championship.
"The front office is going to do whatever it takes to make (this franchise) better," James said.
LeBron: "The front office is going to do whatever it takes to make (this franchise) better. … it’s my job to make sure I’m ready at the start of training camp, ready to lead the team that’s on the floor, whoever that may be."
The King also discussed how injuries played a large part in the troubles. He cited a variety of lineups that were used as an indicator.
LeBron remarked upon how frustrating the injuries and lack of continuity were this season, citing the franchise-record 41 different starting lineups that were used.
James said he had no desire to play in the final games, because of his ankle injury, despite being in the chase to win the NBA scoring title. At that point, the Lakers had been eliminated from playoff contention.
LeBron said there was no consideration of him returning to play just to qualify for the scoring title, due to his ankle injury. Were he healthy, he’d have played.
"I’m not out there just to be playing meaningless games to win the scoring title."
Whats next for the Lakers and LeBron James?
Since the summer of 2018, when James signed with the LA Lakers, the organization has missed the playoffs twice and had two losing records.
Injuries have played the lion's share of the team failing to qualify for the playoffs twice, but the front office needs to be more competent in constructing a roster.
The silver lining among all this chaos, however, is that the franchise won a championship as recently as 2020. This proves that if resources are utilized and allocated correctly, the team can compete for an NBA championship.
The likely method to do this would require the front office to trade Russell Westbrook, ideally for a center who can rebound and provide defense. They could also aim to get a "3 and D" wing player who can shoot effectively beyond the arc.
They should retain players who have shown consistency and skill on offense, like Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony. And they should retain the ones who showed effort on defense, like Stanley Johnson and Austin Reaves.
James has already begun thinking about the offseason and next season.
LeBron said it’s natural to start thinking about the group for next season, how the pieces can best fit, looking for a “roster that can bring more wins,” no matter where he’s on the court most: “My personal goal is to be able to play any position on the floor."