NBA: Grading each team’s 2014-2015 season

D. <p>Every member of the Los Angeles Lakers front office should send a “thank you” card to the New York Knicks. If it wasn’t for New York, the Lakers would have attracted a lot more attention during a season with 60 losses, but Los Angeles has, somehow, flown under the radar despite lackluster play.</p> <p>It must be noted that Kobe Bryant appeared in only 35 games before suffering a season-ending injury and lottery pick Julius Randle missed the entire season. Still, the Lakers are trotting out rosters that would make even casual NBA fans cringe on a nightly basis, and that simply isn’t defensible for a club of their pedigree.</p> <p>Jordan Clarkson is a nice piece, Randle and Kobe should be back next season and the Lakers have a lot of cap space in which to entice potential free agents. It will be amusing when Los Angeles suddenly “rebuilds” on the fly like the Lakers have seemingly done on a number of occasions, but at this moment, the 2014-2015 season was a bit of a mess, even when compared to low expectations.</p>. 5th. Pacific Division, Western Conference. LOS ANGELES LAKERS