With the All-Star Weekend over, it's time for the Lakers to get back to work. Throughout the season, they've been fighting for playoff spots. The Big Three, made up of James, Westbrook and Thick Brow, is not as strong as fans think, and is now only 9th in the West.
The biggest problem with the Lakers is the new signing Wei Shao. His super high turnover rate and sluggish shooting feel have become stumbling blocks on the Way Forward for the Lakers. In fact, the Lakers didn't have only one choice last summer, Hilde and DeRozan were one of their targets.
NBA star Ramona Shelburne talked about the Lakers' operations in the "NBA Today" program last offseason. He said: "Last offseason, the Lakers made a choice between Westbrook, Hield and DeRozan, and the Lakers chose Westbrook. At the time, the Lakers were reluctant to give DeRozan a three-year contract. ”
After being rejected by the Lakers, DeRozan moved to Eastern Conference team Bulls and signed a three-year, $82 million contract. This season, DeRozan has played well and become a strong contender for MVP. In the eyes of many Lakers fans, if the management had chosen DeRozan, the team's situation might have been much better. Obviously, DeRozan is the ideal candidate for the Lakers. He's a more well-rounded scorer than Westbrook.
In fact, even DeRozan himself thought he would join the Lakers. In a previous interview, DeRozan had said: "I think going to the Lakers is already a foregone conclusion, and we will find a way to solve it." I'm going home to play (DeRozan is a Los Angeles native). But in the end it didn't work out, it was just part of the business, part of the game. My next choice is definitely Chicago. So, looking back, the effect is not bad. ”
The Lakers' reluctance to give DeRozan an extra year on a contract was the biggest mistake they made. And now, Wei Shao's performance is very poor, and no team is willing to accept him. This also directly led to the Lakers' chances of seeking change becoming slim. In the case of thick eyebrow injuries, the Lakers can only rely on the 37-year-old James to fight for a playoff spot.