In the 20-year playoffs, the Lakers, with the power of the "Zhan Mei Combination", have successively "swept" the Blazers, Rockets, and Nuggets, defeating the Heat 4-2; in the case of not being optimistic before the start of the playoffs, they successfully won the championship trophy.
It is also the successful victory of this year that makes the Lakers taste sweet. So in the 20-year offseason, the Lakers management spared no effort to focus on the "Zhan Mei combination" and carry out more targeted reinforcements - the introduction of Schroeder, Harrell, Gasol Jr., Drummond and other powerful players, in the hope that the team can once again impact the championship under the leadership of the "Zhan Mei combination"...
20-21 season: Frequent injuries + poor performance of new signings, resulting in the Lakers not playing the expected results
In the 19-year offseason, due to the impact of the "small card incident", the Lakers have actually missed the best time to strengthen, but in the end, they had to play the first record in the West + successfully win the championship in the absence of a lineup.
Before the start of the 20-21 season, compared with the 19-year offseason, although the Lakers had more time to reinforce and polish the team's championship lineup, the carefully polished lineup did not achieve the expected results as they wished.
Although the Lakers once ranked in the top three in the West this season, in the context of thick eyebrows and James's long absence from the game, they only achieved the seventh record in the West. Fortunately, before the start of the playoffs, James and Thick Brow recovered from injuries in time, giving people a glimpse that they still have a chance to win the championship.
In the first round of the 21-year playoffs to face the Suns, James has not fully recovered from injuries + physical decline, has not been able to play in the state of the playoffs for 20 years, can only contribute 25.0 points, 7.7 boards, 7.8 assists, 51.3% shooting rate; although the thick eyebrows perform well in G2 and G3, and help the team win two games in a row, but because of the impact of the injury again, the thick eyebrows have not been able to fully show their strength.
In addition, the performance of the other Lakers players in that series was devastating: Drummond 9.0 points and 11 boards, Harrell 5.8 points 2.5 boards, Gasol Jr. 5.2 points 3.8 boards; Schroeder 14.3 points + 40.0% shooting, Kuzma 6.3 points + 29.2% shooting rate, Pope 6.2 points + 37.9% shooting rate, Big Morris 2.3 points + 22.2% shooting rate.
It was also in the case of the overall poor performance, and finally after the thick eyebrow injury retreated, the Lakers collapsed, won three consecutive games by the Suns, and only got the results of a round of playoffs...
21-22 season: The super big three in the strong group but can't play the expected results, and the trade is the only way out?
When the Lakers around the "Zhan Mei combination" reinforcement but experienced a failed season + coupled with the pressure of the Nets super big three at that time, the Lakers management knew that if they still made small repairs to the team around James and thick eyebrows, then even if the Lakers could eventually rush out of the West, there was a high probability that they would not be able to win the championship trophy from the Nets or Bucks.
So in the 21-year offseason, in fact, the Lakers management wanted to find a superstar player for the Lakers from the beginning, and joined forces with James and Thick Brow to form a big three combination. However, in the end, they did not choose Derod and Hield, who seemed to be more in line with James' system, but chose the former MVP + triple-double king - Westbrook.
It's just that even if Wei Shao joins, the Lakers in the new season can't change the status quo. After more than half a season of running-in, the Lakers' big three have not been able to play a chemical reaction, and so far they have only won 26 wins and 31 losses to the ninth result in the West, even less than last year's Lakers' record of the same period...
When it comes to the main reason why the Lakers can't play the expected results in the new season, it is nothing more than these three: First of all, james and thick eyebrows have missed many games due to the impact of injuries in the new season, resulting in the lack of time between the lakers' big three. Secondly, Wei Shao's inefficient offensive and defensive performance on the field has seriously hurt the team.
Finally, the Lakers' overall defensive intensity is insufficient, after all, from the current Lakers lineup: Anthony (37 years old), James (37 years old), Ariza (36 years old), Howard (36 years old), Ellington (34 years old), Westbrook (33 years old), Jordan Jr. (33 years old), Bazemore (32 years old), thick eyebrows (28 years old).
Whether it is Anthony, Westbrook, Ellington, who are already general defensive players, or James, Ariza, Howard, etc., who have played a good defensive performance, they are now forced by the state or because of the impact of physical fitness, they are no longer able to provide high-quality defense for the team.
The health and personal status of James and Thick Brow will naturally slowly recover as the season progresses; but Wei Shao's performance of "pulling crotch" and the team's overall poor defensive efficiency are difficult to change qualitatively without changing the lineup. So if the Lakers still want to win the championship this year, making changes in the trading market is almost their only way out.
But just when the outside world thinks that there will be a big move before the end of the trading day this year, but watching others lively to strengthen the team, the Lakers management has never had any operation - with the end of the trading day, there is neither trading nor additional reinforcement...
So, when trading is the only way out, why are the Lakers doing nothing in the trading market?
1. Unwilling to pay future assets + continue to pay luxury taxes. Recently, when asked about the Lakers' management's inaction before the trade day deadline, Ramona Shelburne revealed that the Lakers management had told James and Thick Brow that the team was unwilling to send future assets or pay luxury taxes to supplement.
And according to McMenamin, "There's a John Wall iterative trade between the Lakers and the Rockets (including Christian Wood), but that will involve more salary." I know from other sources from the Rockets that the Lakers are reluctant to accept more pay. ”
The "single exchange" transaction with Wei Shao vs Wall as the main body is indeed very limited to the lakers' reinforcement and changes. After all, Wall hasn't played in a long time, and now his actual state is not known at all.
But if the Rockets use "Wall + Wood" as a chip, it will certainly make the Lakers continue to overdraft the future (the first round of signing in 2027) + pay more luxury taxes. But today's Lakers have made it clear that they are not willing to continue to overdraft the future and continue to increase the luxury tax. Therefore, the transactions with Wei Shao and Wall as the main body before the end of the trading day can only end in failure in the end.
2, at present, the Lakers have no attractive chips. In the case that the Lakers management is unwilling to overdraft the future and is unwilling to pay more luxury taxes, in fact, the chips that the Lakers currently have in their hands do not have much attraction for the league's 29 team.
Westbrook's 18.3 points, 7.8 boards and 7.6 assists, 43.7% shooting rate + 30.1% three-point shooting rate this season, coupled with loophole-level defensive efficiency and $44.21 million + $47.06 million in large contracts, seem to have become a negative asset for the Lakers. Only in a "poison contract" of this level with Wall can it be traded...
Other players like Anthony, Bradley, Howard, Jordan Jr., don't have much appeal to other teams either. Unless it is a player with development potential like Tucker or Munch + some future chips, it is possible to trade a good instant player.
However, due to the contract + the actual performance of the players, in fact, without overdrawing the future, there will basically be no team interested in the Lakers' chips. Unless the Lakers management sells off the thick eyebrows of a three-year top salary contract, it may be able to get back a good instant combat or superstar player.
But unless the object of their trade reaches the level of alphabet brother, Durant, embiid, otherwise after the trade of thick eyebrows, no matter what chips are exchanged, the overall strength of the Lakers will definitely decline further, and even the playoffs may not even be able to enter the playoffs.
In summary, "unwilling to pay future assets + continue to pay luxury taxes, and do not have enough attractive chips" is the main reason why the Lakers have done nothing in the trading market this year. After the trading market, the next buyout market, even if it is strengthened, can not meet the lakers' needs to win the championship.
That is to say, in the new season, in the case of Wei Shao's performance "pulling crotch", the team's overall offense and defense have great problems, the championship lineup built with "James + thick eyebrows + Wei Shao" as the core, although it will not fail to play in the playoffs, but in the case of no big change in the follow-up lineup, it also means that they have completely withdrawn from the championship race...