By most criteria, winning 47 games and making it through the SoFi Play-In Tournament constitutes a successful season. Losing to the defending champs in the first round of the playoffs is certainly not a shame.
But the Lakers have LeBron James. That means the regulations are different.
Whether realistic or not, their goal was to win the championship or come close. The inaugural In-Season Tournament was not the only banner they aimed to hoist.
So there’s some grumbling in Los Angeles today, and it’s even more unsettling that the Lakers’ 2020 championship could be their only one with LeBron.
He will turn 40 next season. As difficult as it is to believe, LeBron will eventually regress. That does not include the expectation that next season will be spent with the Lakers. Get ready for an Armageddon summer of free agency conjecture.
Can the Lakers salvage what’s left of him, or will they be a 45-win club that makes the playoffs but does nothing exceptional during his tenure?
Here’s what the Lakers are dealing with as they embark on an offseason of soul-searching:
If his only goal was winning a championship, and he didn’t care what city he’d have to live in or how much money he’d make, would LeBron’s first choice be the Lakers?
Probably not.
But let’s be realistic. LeBron isn’t going to Oklahoma City, one of only a handful of contenders with room under the cap. Besides, his wife doesn’t want to leave L.A., where his son, Bryce, plays high school ball.
One team could pull a power play: the Clippers. They have the richest owner in team sports, will move to the new Intuit Dome next season, can bring back Paul George and/or James Harden, have a coach that LeBron knows and respects in Ty Lue, and last we checked, are based in L.A.
And they could draft Bronny James in the second round and give LeBron his wish. LeBron would have it all: Los Angeles, a chance to play next to his oldest son, a contender and access to Steve Ballmer’s billions.
