Fansided

Midseason Grades for Each NBA Team

By Cody Williams

Jan 14, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) is defended by San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) is defended by San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 7, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) salutes the crowd reaction as he exits the game for the last time in Canada against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Lakers 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) salutes the crowd reaction as he exits the game for the last time in Canada against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Lakers 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

20. . 9-35. 15th West. Los Angeles Lakers. F. player

Even with the addition of point guard D’Angelo Russell, the No. 2-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers weren’t ever expected to be a team vying for a playoff spot this year. They were simply supposed to be a team transitioning out of the Kobe Bryant era and focusing on the development of their young talent like Russell, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson. However, they’ve even failed in doing that as they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league.

With the unwelcomed “help” of head coach Byron Scott, the Lakers have been hands down the most frustrating team in the NBA this season. Kobe’s announcement that he will be retiring at the end of the season has served as nothing more as a transparent distraction from the organization from the fact that this roster was constructed in the most shortsighted manner and that Scott has only worsened the problem by forming his rotations with the intent of winning games rather than developing players in the interest of the Lakers’ future. The result has been a failure in terms of success and in terms of development.

Failure has simply been the theme of the Lakers throughout the first half of the season. They are a dumpster fire on both ends of the floor with the second-worst record in the league at the midway point of the year and, even worse, have failed to show the promise many had hoped thanks to mismanagement from top-to-bottom in the organization.

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