[ad_1]
The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets were on paper “Superteams,” but in reality, these teams were so fraudulent that they could be considered among the biggest disappointments in NBA history! LeBron James had two top 75 players ever in Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant had two superstars in James Harden and Kyrie Irving. These two teams were expected to be on a collision course to the NBA Finals. Instead, both teams struggled mightily to the point where James Harden demanded out of Brooklyn, and Lakers fans called for Russell Westbrook to be traded. In addition, both teams combined for zero playoff wins! The Lakers failed to qualify for the play-in tournament, and the Nets needed to win two games to make the playoffs before getting swept.
Offseason Drama
Fast forward to the offseason, and Kevin Durant demanded a trade from the Nets! KD wanted both the coach (Steve Nash) and GM (Sean Marks) fired if he was to return to Brooklyn. Durant told owner Joe Tsai that he “doesn’t have faith in the team’s direction moving forward,” per Shams Charania. When the dust ultimately settled, the Nets couldn’t find a realistic trade partner for Durant, and he, along with Irving, is running it back for next season.
The Lakers also re-evaluated their roster this offseason, reportedly interested in acquiring Kyrie Irving to upgrade the point guard position. Russell Westbrook’s value throughout the league is at an all-time low. It seems the Lakers will be forced to bring him back unless they part with both of their remaining first-round picks available to be traded. LeBron James did sign a contract extension which is great news! The Lakers no longer have to worry about the likelihood of him leaving after this upcoming season. However, their championship window is closing as he nor AD are getting any younger.
Optimism
Seeing the top-end talent that remains on these rosters, there are reasons for fans to be optimistic. LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain the best duo in the game. The Lakers also hired a motivational players coach, Darvin Ham, to replace Frank Vogel. They also got much younger complementary pieces adding the likes of Thomas Bryant, Lonnie Walker, Damian Jones, Troy Brown Jr, Juan Toscano Anderson, etc. They added Max Christe, Cole Swider, and Scotty Pippen Jr through the draft and will have a healthy Kendrick Nunn available.
The Patrick Beverley trade was also great, putting a defensive-minded guard and floor spacer on a severely lacking team in both areas. I expect the culture, effort, and energy to be much improved throughout this team. The health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is the most significant factor because we know how great they can be when healthy.
Ben Simmons is expected to finally play basketball after a year hiatus and for the first time in a Brooklyn Nets uniform. A DPOY candidate and Allstar next to KD and Kyrie SHOULD be very scary. Royce O’Neale, TJ Warren, and Markieff Morris were solid veteran pickups on the wing. Joe Harris should be back and there is no vaccine mandate to keep Kyrie Irving off the court.
Reason for concern
Now that we’ve laid out the bright spots for these teams, let’s be realistic. The top-end talent is masking flawed underwhelming rosters with lots of question marks. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for championship-level success.
Russell Westbrook, plain and simple, doesn’t fit the Lakers. The bar of expectations continued to lower for him, and he continued to fail to meet that bar. Anthony Davis hasn’t been the player he was for the 2020 championship team, and it hasn’t been close. Last season, he was a pathetic shooter (shooting just 19% from 3 and 32% from 3-10 feet via Basketball Reference) and struggled to stay on the court. Only two players remain from the championship squad, and there’s only one I can consistently trust, a man entering his 20th season who can no longer solo squad a team to the finals. There is minimal shooting on this roster, and they haven’t found any defensive identity either.
Kevin Durant had one foot out the door in Brooklyn. He didn’t even believe in the people in power within the organization to make this team successful. Kyrie Irving wasn’t even offered a guaranteed max extension, mainly due to question marks surrounding his availability, and is playing for a long-term contract. Ben Simmons hasn’t played professional basketball since getting slandered for how he performed in the playoffs for the Sixers and is likely changing positions to be a frontcourt player. The Nets are undersized in the backcourt and don’t have the personnel to be great defensively. Steve Nash has yet to prove to be a championship-caliber coach, and we don’t know if he commands respect from his players or how much longer his leash even is as the head coach.
Not legitimate contenders
There are too many concerns, flaws, and variables for the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets as presently constructed to be taken seriously as legitimate championship contenders. Furthermore, looking at the league’s landscape, too many teams are complete from top to bottom, have established chemistry, and have proven to have the ingredients to contend for the ultimate goal. The biggest and brightest stars may reside in LA and New York, but the Lakers and Nets remain the NBA’s biggest frauds.
[ad_2]
Source link