The LA Lakers’ championship aspirations could be short-lived. It’s been a roller coaster season for JJ Redick’s team, and while it closed out the campaign on a high note after acquiring Luka Doncic, it now faces elimination in the first round.
The Lakers lost homecourt advantage in Game 1 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves, and while they were able to even things up in Game 2, they’ve been overmatched and outhustled for most of Games 3 and 4.
Now, facing a 3-1 deficit and with their backs against the wall, the series will travel back to Southern California on Wednesday for Game 5.
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Redick will have to hit the drawing board to stave off elimination and live for another day, but it seems like he has some serious personnel and matchup problems he might not be able to solve.
With that in mind, we’re going to share three reasons why fans shouldn’t be surprised to see the Lakers potentially go home in the first round.
The Lakers never had a playoff-caliber roster
Of course, acquiring a player of Luka Doncic’s caliber moves the needle for all teams. The Lakers looked better on offense, and he was available more often than the injury-prone Anthony Davis.
Nevertheless, the Lakers never had the depth or personnel to pull off a championship run. They essentially swapped a star with another one, but the underlying issues on the roster remained the same.
Austin Reaves is a solid third option, but the team lacks depth at center, and the backup point guard spot has also been a recurring issue.
Their small ball lineup burned them in the regular season
The Lakers needed another big man, even when Anthony Davis was still there. Jaxson Hayes is a situational big at best, and while he’s athletic and a good rim protector, he’s a non-factor on offense.
Things would’ve been different if they had kept Mark Williams. That infamous failed physical that killed the trade might also kill the Lakers’ aspirations, as they just don’t have the size to match up with the Timberwolves’ frontcourt.
Hayes has totaled 30 minutes through the first three games of the series, and rolling with LeBron James or Rui Hachimura at the five has done little to help this team’s case.
LeBron’s age is glaringly catching up in playoffs for years
To the naked eye, LeBron James has been dominant in the playoffs so far. If you only take a look at his averages of 26.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists through four games, you might think that he’s been as good as he’s always been.
Nevertheless, he’s been missing in action in fourth quarters, has been beaten over and over on defense, and it seems like the Timberwolves’ defensive design and game plan has allowed him to get going while focusing on limiting his supporting cast.
James can no longer play 40+ minutes and go hard on both ends of the floor like he used to. He’s been in the league for 22 years, and expecting him to carry such a big load isn’t realistic anymore.
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Edited by Rajdeep Barman
