“They are stinking up the city of Los Angeles” – Stephen A. Smith uses a sleazy analogy to sum up Lakers disappointing show this season
The LA Lakers have performed far worse than anyone expected prior to the season. In fact, they have a legitimate case for being the NBA's worst team.
After the Lakers (2-9) lost their fourth straight game, falling 114-101 to the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, analyst Stephen A. Smith didn't hold back on ESPN's "First Take." He had harsh words for the premier basketball franchise in Los Angeles:
"They're so bad, you could pass gas and they'll think it's perfume. ... They are stinking up the city of Los Angeles."
Stephen A on the Lakers: "They're so bad, you could pass gas and they'll think it's perfume... They are stinking up the city of Los Angeles." 😂
#LakeShow https://t.co/2s4W9h6Jin
Smith’s description may be harsh, but it is rooted in some hard facts. The team has the second-worst record in the league, only a half-game ahead of the 2-10 Houston Rockets. They have the third worst-scoring average at 107.7 points per game.
This is not what was expected of a roster that has two former league MVPs in Russell Westbrook and LeBron James. Three of their players were named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team as some of the greatest players to ever play the game. It is a huge disappointment to start the season this way.
This is not the Lakers' standard
The LA Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in the history of American professional sports. The NBA has two organizations that sit above the rest of the teams. The Boston Celtics and the Lakers have the most championships, with 17 apiece, accounting for 34 of the 75 championships in league history.
With the team at 2-9, it is likely that it will miss the playoffs. This could be the second year in a row the team has missed the postseason. That was not what they expected when they brought in LeBron James. This is his fith year with the team. Although the Lakers won the 2020 title, they've already missed the playoffs twice and suffered a first-round exit in 2021.
To put that in perspective, between the years of 1948 and 2013 the Lakers only missed the postseason five times. When James arrived, this was supposed to put the franchise back on track and enable them to recapture its glory.
Since winning it all in 2020, they haven’t looked like a team that could challenge for a title. With James in Year 20, there is no guarantee on how long he will still be a top player. Anthony Davis has failed to take that next step to becoming the team’s primary superstar. The future prospects of the Lakers do not look good.