Now that 2024 is formally here, it truly is a new year. Every year, individuals and organizations alike come up with adjustments that must be put into practice in order to optimize their total development over the following 366 days.
The lackluster play displayed by the Los Angeles Lakers thus far this season makes it very evident that changes must be made if the team is to capitalize on what will undoubtedly be a landmark season in LeBron James’ celebrated career.
The squad has a little more time to try to find their rhythm again, but at the beginning of the 2023–2024 season, we witnessed the positive effects of some change for a basketball team. The sooner the Lakers adjust some of their initial strategies, which haven’t exactly worked out, the sooner they can become a serious contender again.
Lakers require a fresh perimeter creator.
Look, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves haven’t exactly been awful. In actuality, the two have proven to be excellent secondary playmakers who can be relied upon to absolve LeBron and AD of their heavy offensive burdens. But it seems like the Lakers need to improve their perimeter defense.
Given how highly the team values Reaves, if any of the two were to be included in trade negotiations, it would very definitely be Russell. Before the season even began, D’Lo was in trade rumors, and his contract—which expires after the $18.7 salary for the following season—was pretty team-friendly.
With players like Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray being connected to Los Angeles in trade rumors, Russell might be headed out of town in any deal that is worked out. It would appear that Murray in particular makes a great third baseman in the hierarchy of the team.
Cultural shifts might be essential for the Lakers’ ongoing success.
All of the Lakers’ players have been inconsistent thus far this season, with the exception of LeBron and AD. Prior to the regular season, Austin Reaves was expected by many to make his first All-Star appearance this February, but he struggled right away. Though he has now recovered and appears more like HIMSELF, he serves as a perfect illustration of the inconsistency that all of us experienced in the beginning.
Think about Cam Reddish’s situation. He was being severely mocked for his lack of output right from the start of the regular season. Due in large part to his defensive activity, he was being considered a possible untouchable after around the first three months of the season. After the team’s Christmas Day loss to Boston, Cam’s head coach openly criticized him for his lack of focus on offense.
For the Lakers, that series of emotions has characterized their season thus far.
Conditioning
The Lakers’ protracted struggle with injuries has once again marked a challenging route toward group harmony. Both Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt have already missed a significant portion of the season; Vincent is presently sidelined after requiring surgery on his knee.
Although LeBron and AD have fortunately stayed healthy throughout the season thus far, it will never be easy to create consistency in a rotation if a team’s rotation isn’t stable to begin with due to injuries.
It is evident from looking into Vincent’s case that he had not entirely healed from his knee injury sustained early in the season. Rewind to Kendrick Nunn, who was sidelined for the entirety of the 2021–2022 season due to a bone bruise that was not anticipated to keep him out for an extended period of time. Over the past several seasons, there has been a pattern of player recoveries that have left fans disappointed.
Roger Sancho joined the Lakers as their chief athletic trainer in 2021, and considering his rise to this point, he is unquestionably among the best in his field. Having said that, the Lakers have recently shown a propensity to break ways with their coaching staffs because of an injury cycle that seems to go on forever. Before Sancho, trainers Nina Hsieh and Marco Nunez each lost their positions after just two years of employment with the company.
While it is hoped that Sancho can establish a long and successful career with the team, being available is one of the most valuable qualities in the basketball industry. Some commercial choices can always be made behind closed doors if the players are not available to play.
Now that 2024 is formally here, it truly is a new year. Every year, individuals and organizations alike come up with adjustments that must be put into practice in order to optimize their total development over the following 366 days.
The lackluster play displayed by the Los Angeles Lakers thus far this season makes it very evident that changes must be made if the team is to capitalize on what will undoubtedly be a landmark season in LeBron James’ celebrated career.
The squad has a little more time to try to find their rhythm again, but at the beginning of the 2023–2024 season, we witnessed the positive effects of some change for a basketball team. The sooner the Lakers adjust some of their initial strategies, which haven’t exactly worked out, the sooner they can become a serious contender again.
Lakers require a fresh perimeter creator.
Look, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves haven’t exactly been awful. In actuality, the two have proven to be excellent secondary playmakers who can be relied upon to absolve LeBron and AD of their heavy offensive burdens. But it seems like the Lakers need to improve their perimeter defense.
Given how highly the team values Reaves, if any of the two were to be included in trade negotiations, it would very definitely be Russell. Before the season even began, D’Lo was in trade rumors, and his contract—which expires after the $18.7 salary for the following season—was pretty team-friendly.
With players like Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray being connected to Los Angeles in trade rumors, Russell might be headed out of town in any deal that is worked out. It would appear that Murray in particular makes a great third baseman in the hierarchy of the team.
Cultural shifts might be essential for the Lakers’ ongoing success.
All of the Lakers’ players have been inconsistent thus far this season, with the exception of LeBron and AD. Prior to the regular season, Austin Reaves was expected by many to make his first All-Star appearance this February, but he struggled right away. Though he has now recovered and appears more like HIMSELF, he serves as a perfect illustration of the inconsistency that all of us experienced in the beginning.
Think about Cam Reddish’s situation. He was being severely mocked for his lack of output right from the start of the regular season. Due in large part to his defensive activity, he was being considered a possible untouchable after around the first three months of the season. After the team’s Christmas Day loss to Boston, Cam’s head coach openly criticized him for his lack of focus on offense.
For the Lakers, that series of emotions has characterized their season thus far.
Conditioning
The Lakers’ protracted struggle with injuries has once again marked a challenging route toward group harmony. Both Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt have already missed a significant portion of the season; Vincent is presently sidelined after requiring surgery on his knee.
Although LeBron and AD have fortunately stayed healthy throughout the season thus far, it will never be easy to create consistency in a rotation if a team’s rotation isn’t stable to begin with due to injuries.
It is evident from looking into Vincent’s case that he had not entirely healed from his knee injury sustained early in the season. Rewind to Kendrick Nunn, who was sidelined for the entirety of the 2021–2022 season due to a bone bruise that was not anticipated to keep him out for an extended period of time. Over the past several seasons, there has been a pattern of player recoveries that have left fans disappointed.
Roger Sancho joined the Lakers as their chief athletic trainer in 2021, and considering his rise to this point, he is unquestionably among the best in his field. Having said that, the Lakers have recently shown a propensity to break ways with their coaching staffs because of an injury cycle that seems to go on forever. Before Sancho, trainers Nina Hsieh and Marco Nunez each lost their positions after just two years of employment with the company.
While it is hoped that Sancho can establish a long and successful career with the team, being available is one of the most valuable qualities in the basketball industry. Some commercial choices can always be made behind closed doors if the players are not available to play.
Now that 2024 is formally here, it truly is a new year. Every year, individuals and organizations alike come up with adjustments that must be put into practice in order to optimize their total development over the following 366 days.
The lackluster play displayed by the Los Angeles Lakers thus far this season makes it very evident that changes must be made if the team is to capitalize on what will undoubtedly be a landmark season in LeBron James’ celebrated career.
The squad has a little more time to try to find their rhythm again, but at the beginning of the 2023–2024 season, we witnessed the positive effects of some change for a basketball team. The sooner the Lakers adjust some of their initial strategies, which haven’t exactly worked out, the sooner they can become a serious contender again.
Lakers require a fresh perimeter creator.
Look, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves haven’t exactly been awful. In actuality, the two have proven to be excellent secondary playmakers who can be relied upon to absolve LeBron and AD of their heavy offensive burdens. But it seems like the Lakers need to improve their perimeter defense.
Given how highly the team values Reaves, if any of the two were to be included in trade negotiations, it would very definitely be Russell. Before the season even began, D’Lo was in trade rumors, and his contract—which expires after the $18.7 salary for the following season—was pretty team-friendly.
With players like Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray being connected to Los Angeles in trade rumors, Russell might be headed out of town in any deal that is worked out. It would appear that Murray in particular makes a great third baseman in the hierarchy of the team.
Cultural shifts might be essential for the Lakers’ ongoing success.
All of the Lakers’ players have been inconsistent thus far this season, with the exception of LeBron and AD. Prior to the regular season, Austin Reaves was expected by many to make his first All-Star appearance this February, but he struggled right away. Though he has now recovered and appears more like HIMSELF, he serves as a perfect illustration of the inconsistency that all of us experienced in the beginning.
Think about Cam Reddish’s situation. He was being severely mocked for his lack of output right from the start of the regular season. Due in large part to his defensive activity, he was being considered a possible untouchable after around the first three months of the season. After the team’s Christmas Day loss to Boston, Cam’s head coach openly criticized him for his lack of focus on offense.
For the Lakers, that series of emotions has characterized their season thus far.
Conditioning
The Lakers’ protracted struggle with injuries has once again marked a challenging route toward group harmony. Both Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt have already missed a significant portion of the season; Vincent is presently sidelined after requiring surgery on his knee.
Although LeBron and AD have fortunately stayed healthy throughout the season thus far, it will never be easy to create consistency in a rotation if a team’s rotation isn’t stable to begin with due to injuries.
It is evident from looking into Vincent’s case that he had not entirely healed from his knee injury sustained early in the season. Rewind to Kendrick Nunn, who was sidelined for the entirety of the 2021–2022 season due to a bone bruise that was not anticipated to keep him out for an extended period of time. Over the past several seasons, there has been a pattern of player recoveries that have left fans disappointed.
Roger Sancho joined the Lakers as their chief athletic trainer in 2021, and considering his rise to this point, he is unquestionably among the best in his field. Having said that, the Lakers have recently shown a propensity to break ways with their coaching staffs because of an injury cycle that seems to go on forever. Before Sancho, trainers Nina Hsieh and Marco Nunez each lost their positions after just two years of employment with the company.
While it is hoped that Sancho can establish a long and successful career with the team, being available is one of the most valuable qualities in the basketball industry. Some commercial choices can always be made behind closed doors if the players are not available to play.