The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and teams are fighting hard for the championship. The Los Angeles Lakers, as a traditional powerhouse in the league, missed the playoffs again this season, which undoubtedly disappointed Lakers fans and team management.
After the news of missing the playoffs, Lakers star Brother Thick Mei stood up and made his opinion public. He said that the key reason why the Lakers could not achieve good results was that all the players on the team played in an overly civilized way and lacked the kind of "bad guy" type players who could fight hard and create fouls at critical moments.
The thick eyebrows' remarks undoubtedly sparked a wide range of discussions. Some analysts believe that the Lakers do need a player who can improve the team's aggressiveness. For example, Draymond Green of the Warriors is a typical example of this. And the Lakers' current main lineup, including thick eyebrows and James, seems to be too focused on fair play and lacks the determination and courage to break the kettle at critical moments.
However, this view was also immediately criticized by some experts. They believe that the key to the Lakers' defeat is also due to the management's poor recruitment decisions in recent years, as well as problems with the team's internal chemistry. Simply pursuing that kind of "bad guy" type of player may not completely solve the Lakers' problems.
What's even more interesting is that in the subsequent development of this matter, some unexpected details have emerged. According to reports, after the news that the Lakers would not be able to make the playoffs, there were several strong teams that tried to poach Lakers coach Darvin Darvin Ham. Among them was the Phoenix Suns, who eventually managed to cut off Ham, causing the Lakers to hastily re-sign current head coach Hank Bimere.
This once again provoked strong criticism from the American media. They believe that the Lakers' management is so unprofessional that they can't even keep their own coach. And the Suns' approach to this matter is even more despicable, it is simply taking advantage of the danger of others and doing whatever it takes for the benefit of the team.
Of course, none of this can hide the problems that exist within the Lakers. It is reported that at the end of the season, James expressed his disappointment in a rare way. He believes that as a top team, the Lakers should be able to have a better roster and be much stronger than they have been this season. However, James did not comment too much on this, only saying that he would discuss with the management how to make personnel changes next season.
So, what exactly is causing the Lakers to be so bad this season? In response to this problem, we might as well conduct an in-depth analysis from multiple angles.
First of all, from the perspective of the team's roster structure, the Lakers do have some problems. We can find that in addition to the two core players of Thick Eyebrows and James, there is a lack of other high-quality players within the team who can form an effective combination with them. As Bush said, the Lakers need a "bad guy" type of player who can provide a fresh force in crunch time, and the current roster clearly lacks that role.
For example, in the interior position, although the Lakers have a top star like Thick Eyebrow, when he is injured or rested, the team will fall into the dilemma of interior weakness. Even when Bushy Eyebrows is healthy, he needs a really good interior partner to share the pressure. Howard used to play this role very well in the past. But in recent seasons, the Lakers' interior strength has dropped significantly.
Looking at the outside position, although the Lakers have a James with strong scoring ability, he can't take on the offensive responsibility of the entire team alone. Other players are less likely to shoot three-point shots and convert to the fast break. As a result, the Lakers' offensive model is too one-size-fits-all to deal with opponents who are better at speed and three-point shooting.
In other words, although the Lakers' current main lineup is indisputable in terms of individual strength, there are still some inconsistencies in the overall coordination and division of labor. This may be the crux of the "civilization" problem pointed out by thick eyebrows.
In addition, there may be some shortcomings in the team's tactical system. The Lakers have long been a team that focuses on interior strengths, but their outside shooting ability has been lacking in their performance this season. This may mean that the Lakers' offensive model is too one-dimensional to play against opponents who excel at speed and three-point shooting.
We can find that the Lakers need to further improve their rhythm control and space utilization on the offensive end. They rely too much on the interior to crush opponents, but once they come across teams that excel at speed and three-point shooting, they struggle to cope. This also reflects from one side that the Lakers' tactical system still has room for further improvement.
In addition, the issue of the atmosphere within the team should not be overlooked. At the end of the season, James reportedly expressed his disappointment publicly, which seemed to hint at some discord within the team. After all, for a championship team, it is undoubtedly a big blow to miss the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.
We know that James has always been one of the most talented stars in the league. Not only is he a great player in his own right, but he's also good at leading the team to great things. But in recent times, he has rarely publicly expressed his frustration, which seems to indicate that there are some irreconcilable contradictions within the Lakers.
What exactly caused the rift in the relationship between James and the rest of the players? Is it because of the team's tactical arrangement and division of labor? Or is there something else that has been left unresolved? Regardless, this creates uncertainty for the Lakers next season.
Perhaps it is because of all of the above reasons that the Lakers have failed to achieve the expected results again this season. But the crux of the problem lies in the team's management's poor decision-making.
It is not difficult to find that in recent years, the Lakers have not made many moves in terms of personnel introduction and adjustment. In today's league with a large number of big-name players, it is clear that staying quiet can no longer meet the development needs of the team. When making decisions, it is clear that the management lacks sufficient strategic vision and foresight.
For example, in terms of recruitment, the Lakers have hardly brought in too many players in recent years who can form a good match with Bushy Eyebrows and James. Even Sun Yue, who was introduced at the beginning, was quickly reduced to a marginal figure due to injuries. This has to make one wonder if there is a problem with the Lakers' management in terms of talent evaluation and selection.
What's even more puzzling is that after the news that the Lakers missed the playoffs, there were other teams that took advantage of the situation and successfully poached coach Ham. This once again exposed the incompetence of the Lakers management, who were unable to retain their head coach, which also reflected that there are certain problems in personnel management within the team.
To some extent, the Suns were able to successfully intercept Huham precisely because of the Lakers management's mistakes in talent acquisition and team building over the years. A team that was once the favorite to win the championship is now unable to retain its own coach, which has to raise questions about Lakers management.
At the root of this, the reason why the Lakers are in such a predicament may be the lack of a comprehensive and systematic development plan. They seem to be too constrained by past achievements and ignore the changes in the league landscape and the evolution of their own strength. The Lakers still have a long way to go in terms of talent introduction, tactical system optimization, and internal management.
So, what does it take for the Lakers to get back to the top next season? I think they can start from the following aspects:
First of all, it is necessary to reasonably adjust the structure of the squad and introduce some players who can form an effective cooperation with thick eyebrows and James. For example, a center who can take the pressure off the inside for the thick eyebrows, or a great three-pointer, etc. The introduction of these players will help improve the overall strength of the Lakers.
On the inside, the Lakers are in dire need of a center who can work well with the thick eyebrows. Howard has played this role well in the past, but has not been able to find a suitable replacement in recent years. If you can bring in a strong interior player with excellent defense, you can not only share the pressure of the thick eyebrows, but also create more opportunities for the team on the offensive end.
And on the outside, the Lakers also need to strengthen the three-point shooter position. James is certainly an all-round player with excellent offensive ability, but he can't take on the offensive burden of the entire team on his own. If one or two excellent three-pointers can be brought in, not only can they open up the interior space and improve the Lakers' scoring ability, but it can also dissipate some of the pressure for James, so that he can focus more on organizing and driving the whole team.
Secondly, it is necessary to optimize the team's tactical system, so that the offense is not only limited to interior play, but also to increase the proportion of outside projection. Not only does this create more uncertainty for opponents, but it also helps to improve the team's overall scoring ability.
We can find that the Lakers' offensive rhythm and space utilization need to be further improved. They rely too heavily on interior dominance, but once they come up against opponents who excel at speed and three-point shooting, they struggle to deal with them. Therefore, it is necessary for the Lakers to re-examine their tactical system, increase the proportion of outside shooting, and make the offense more diverse and flexible.
For example, you can increase the proportion of linkage and fast-break transitions, and also strengthen the delivery of three-point shots. Not only does this allow the Lakers to be more versatile on offense, but it can also force opponents to not fully understand their style of play. Only in this way can the Lakers' offensive system really be taken to the next level.
Thirdly, communication and coordination within the team cannot be ignored. The management should strengthen the communication and interaction with the players, resolve internal conflicts, and create a harmonious team atmosphere.
We know that James is the indispensable leader and heart of the Lakers. But in recent times, he has made a rare public expression of his frustration, which clearly hints at some irreconcilable contradictions within the team. The management should attach great importance to this issue, take the initiative to communicate with stars such as James, understand the internal problems, and take effective measures to resolve them.
Only when the team maintains good communication and coordination, and internal and external contradictions are resolved in a timely manner, can the overall cohesion and combat effectiveness of the Lakers be guaranteed. This will not only boost the motivation and morale of the players, but also help to strengthen the overall strength of the team.
Finally, the Lakers management itself needs to do a deep reflection. They should face up to their own decision-making mistakes in recent years and develop a more well-thought-out plan for next season. Only then can the Lakers truly find their way back to the top.
To sum up, the reason why the Lakers will miss the playoffs again this season is due to reasons including but not limited to: unreasonable roster structure, single tactical system, tense internal atmosphere, and management decision-making mistakes. In order to regain their former glory next season, the Lakers need to start from multiple levels such as recruitment adjustment, tactical optimization, and internal management, in order to solve the various problems they are currently facing as soon as possible.
Only in this way can the Los Angeles Lakers become a powerhouse in the league again and provide more high-level performances for fans. I believe that as long as the Lakers management can seriously reflect and map out a clear development path for the team, they will be able to regain their status as the league's championship favorites in the near future.