Los Angeles Lakers don’t have enough talent
After losing center Dwight Howard to the Houston Rockets in free agency and then using plenty of players to injuries, including their future Hall-of-Fame back court of Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers finished 27-55, the sixth-worst mark in the NBA.
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After using the seventh-overall pick on former Kentucky Wildcats’ power forward Julius Randle, they chased the likes of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James but only wound up acquiring Ed Davis, who they signed away from the Memphis Grizzlies, Jeremy Lin, who was acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets and Carlos Boozer, who they won the waiver claim on after the Chicago Bulls used the amnesty clause to waive him.
The Lakers’ goal is to make the playoffs but that doesn’t seem very realistic.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders thinks the Lakers will “play hard,” but isn’t sure “they have enough talent to win games” and doesn’t think they should try to.
Of course, there are many who believe the return of Bryant could help the Lakers contend for a playoff spot but that seems a bit far-fetched.
Bryant averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42.5% from the field, 18.8% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the free throw line last season. Bryant was selected by the Charlotte Hornets (New Orleans Pelicans) with the 13th-overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and dealt to the Lakers. He has spent all 18 of his NBA seasons in Los Angeles. In his career, he has put up 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.4% from the field, 33.5% from three and 83.8% from the charity stripe.
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