After a disappointing season and the dismissal of Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak, Rob Pelinka is forced to deal with an impossible situation.
The “lakers rumors” is a sports article that discusses the recent hiring of Rob Pelinka. The Lakers have been struggling in their last few seasons, so it was not surprising to see them hire an executive with experience in the NBA.
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t looked like a championship contender in a long time. The Lakers have bungled their way through the first 51 games, just missing out on a playoff berth. Russell Westbrook’s struggle to fit into the mix has raised questions about the roster’s composition. All of this speaks to general manager Rob Pelinka’s decision-making as the cause of the Lakers’ nightmare situation.
The Los Angeles Lakers are failing to meet championship aspirations.
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After the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the team entered a summer marked by major roster turnover.
Pelinka made it a top goal to rebuild the squad around James and Davis in order to put the team in contention for the NBA championship. However, the Lakers’ 2021-22 season has been everything but promising, as they are on the verge of missing the playoffs.
Due to the Lakers’ injury woes, their big three have only played together for 17 of the first 51 games. Los Angeles has been plagued by inconsistency on the field, as well as defensive difficulties and underwhelming performances.
All of these flaws lead to an obvious source of the issue.
Rob Pelinka put the Lakers in a dreadful predicament through no fault of his own.
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The Lakers are in an unfavorable scenario, particularly for a club captained by LeBron James who won the NBA championship less than two years ago.
The near future of Los Angeles is hazy, a phrase seldom associated with the four-time league MVP. It’s gotten to the point where the franchise’s postseason hopes are in jeopardy. It all comes back to the roster structure, no matter how hard the players and head coach Frank Vogel try to escape it.
By adding Westbrook last summer, Rob Pelinka set the tone for the team’s structure around James and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles wanted to bring in a talented point guard to relieve some of the pressure on their two stars, but Westbrook’s fit has been iffy at best.
Aside from adapting to a new position, the 33-year-old hasn’t given the squad the missing piece it needs to compete for a title. Westbrook’s performance and position on the court have been influenced by James and Davis’ injuries, but his lack of outside shooting consistency and dubious decision-making have become consistent difficulties.
Furthermore, Westbrook’s $44.2 million salary has been the most significant issue, requiring the Lakers to assemble a squad mostly comprised of players on veteran’s minimum contracts. Much of it has been on bringing in older talent rather than having the financial means to bring in players who would better match the team.
Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk have demonstrated that they are worth much more than their contracts. Despite this, the squad has grown more dependent on James to keep the Lakers competitive in his 19th season. Meanwhile, several of their other players, such as Talen Horton-Tucker, DeAndre Jordan, and Kent Bazemore, are generally uninterested in trades.
It’s difficult to look at it any other way than the Lakers are in a jam, and it’s all their fault under Pelinka’s leadership.
Los Angeles doesn’t have an option but to stick with their existing lineup.
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The Lakers must accept reality, as much as they want to be active players ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
Los Angeles lacks the necessary talent and contracts that other clubs would be prepared to accept. They don’t have an option but to make the most of their current team before rebuilding it next summer. Westbrook has 30 regular-season games to show he can help the Lakers get back into contention for the NBA title.
Meanwhile, their big three must re-establish the synergy they’ve lacked throughout the season. Although the window of opportunity is substantially smaller, Pelinka and the front office’s decision-making has left them in a difficult position. It’ll be up to the players and coaches to figure out how to make it work. There just isn’t any other option.
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Rob Pelinka is the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was recently forced into a nightmare situation of his own doing, after he made a trade that turned out to be not only bad for him and his team, but also for the league as a whole. Reference: rob pelinka.
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