5. Los Angeles Lakers
This year, the Lakers have had a 1-12 stretch including a run of eight straight losses. You know who never had a 1-12 stretch including a run of eight straight losses? Kobe. Unless he did. I’m too right about everything to check.
The simple move would be to trade retired Kobe for unretired Kobe, but this is something more than just one player can fix. We need a coach.
I think we can all agree that the Luke Walton Experiment is an unmitigated disaster. Birds die when they fly over the Staples Center. Just because the last two titles were won by rookie head coaches doesn’t mean that rookie head coaches are capable of winning championships. I wouldn’t write it if it weren’t true.
What we need is a cultural shift. Some tough love and some unnecessary drama between past and future should do the trick. Players shouldn’t need to be developed. They should already be fully-formed professionals. Is a rookie a rookie? That’s not the coach’s fault. And if it’s not the coach’s fault then whose is it?
And another thing: not everyone can win coach of the year. That’s a bigger honor than being an assistant coach on an NBA championship winning team maybe. Let’s say it is. All sorts of assistant coaches win NBA championships. Only one coach is coach of the year.
What we need is regression but the good kind. No more of this “I believe in you” nonsense. We need a Byron Scott back. But not Byron Scott, because that’d be embarrassing.
Luke Walton for Sam Mitchell.