Fansided

10 most dysfunctional NBA franchises

By John Buhler

Mar 9, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts to a call with the referee during the second quarter of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Sleep Train Arena. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Sacramento Kings 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts to a call with the referee during the second quarter of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Sleep Train Arena. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Sacramento Kings 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 30: D'Angelo Russell (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 30: D’Angelo Russell (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

20. . West. Pacific. Los Angeles Lakers. 4. player

Although the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, their 2015-16 NBA season was their worst ever, going 17-65 and finishing with the second-worst record in the league behind only the 10-win hyper-tanking 76ers.

2015-16 was shamelessly the Year of Kobe Bryant, where the aging superstar got to shoot 30% from the field nightly as he took his glorified victory lap. Bryant is a top 10 player all-time without debate, but his retirement leaves the Lakers with more problems than solutions that his young group has to figure out.

Since the passing of the late, great owner Dr. Jerry Buss, the Lakers have succumbed to many of the pitfalls of highly dysfunctional organizations. They’ve retreated into the past to harp on the glory years while the present rapidly decays on the court.

Los Angeles has made three straight head coaching hires after Phil Jackson left the sidelines. D’Antoni didn’t want to coach bigs and had to deal with enigmatic center Dwight Howard. Mike Brown is a defensive stalwart, but got a roster full of also-rans that couldn’t keep up the tenacity on that end of the floor. Byron Scott loathes dealing with young players and was given Bryant, Nick Young, Metta World Peace, and a bunch of 20-year-olds.

Though the Luke Walton hiring feels slightly different given his success as Steve Kerr’s top assistant with the Golden State Warriors, the first-time NBA head coach is only 36 years old and will have to groom young players like point guard D’Angelo Russell, power forward Julius Randle, and presumably No. 2 overall pick in Duke small forward Brandon Ingram. Walton is also a former Laker, which again is reaching into the past to solve present day problems.

Although highly dysfunctional, the Lakers had well over 40 years of overwhelming on-court success to justify these chaotic last three seasons. They’re in a major media market, a storied NBA franchise, and can still attract quality free agents because they are the Lakers and Bryant is no longer part of the equation.

However, Los Angeles needs to proceed with caution and pragmatism the next two years or else they will become the West Coast version of the New York Knicks and nobody should strive to become that hopelessly dysfunctional.

Next: 3. Sacramento Kings

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