NBA Rumors: There was a disconnect between LeBron James, young core
NBA Rumors: According to a report, there was a reported disconnect between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers’ young core
The 2018-19 Los Angeles Lakers will go down as one of the most disappointing teams in recent NBA history. While not many expected them to be a championship contender this season, they were at the very least projected to make the playoffs.
Los Angeles has officially been disqualified from playoff contention in the Western Conference and will likely pick in the top 10 of the 2019 NBA Draft. Had you said that before the season, many would’ve called you insane.
At the very least, LeBron would make the Lakers respectable. And even though the Lakers’ season largely went into the dumps after his injury, history won’t remember the specifics. All it will remember is that the Lakers missed the playoffs in their first year with LeBron.
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And according to a recent report from ESPN, it appears there’s more going on in the locker room than we know. Perhaps it wasn’t just the injuries that kept this team out of the playoffs.
"One team source told ESPN that they didn’t feel as though James fully engaged with the younger teammates prior to the trade deadline."
Considering everything we know about this year’s Lakers, this isn’t exactly all that surprising. Los Angeles largely underwhelmed this season, and it’s gotten from bad to worse over the last few weeks – from the injury front to the reported potential schisms in the locker room.
The Lakers will have immense pressure on them heading into the off-season, as they have cap space and the assets to land a star. However, as we’ve come to find out over the last couple of summers, that’s something easier said than done. Even for a franchise like the Lakers.
The NBA has changed, and stars don’t really care about playing in Los Angeles or New York. It’s all about relationships, and if you don’t have the right ones you’re not getting a superstar.
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One of the biggest issues is that the Lakers’ young players know that they’re just viewed as bait in an attempt to catch a bigger fish. And the longer the Lakers go without actually making a move, the worse it gets. Something has to give. This is the summer for it to happen.