The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2021-22 NBA season with championship aspirations. When it was all said and done, they couldn’t even qualify for the playoffs.
By any objective measure, this was a failed season in L.A.
Understandably, some of the Lakers’ Western Conference rivals are taking particular satisfaction in their disappointing run this past year.
Case in point: Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob.
During a recent interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Lacob couldn’t help but take a little shot at Los Angeles.
“There are a couple teams, I’m not going to say who, there’s some other teams that went all-in on older players,” he said. “And older players do get injured. That’s the thing you have to remember. Suppose we had made a trade, traded away all our youth, for I don’t know, you name the guy, and they’re injured, out for the year. Anytime you’re over 30, 32, 35, these people get injured. It’s data.
“Having a Jordan Poole emerge at 22 and a Kuminga, who obviously is incredibly talented, isn’t playing so much so far yet in this series, but I think he will have his role … and (James) Wiseman coming back next year, (Moses) Moody … I just think we’re set up for the future. And yet we’re really good now.”
It’s hard to argue with that assessment. The Lakers’ age was seen as a big weakness for them coming into the year, and they didn’t do much to dispel those preconceived notions.
A lot of this could have been avoided had the Lakers not pursued this strategy of signing veterans past their prime.
Is Lacob taking a bit of extra joy rubbing salt in the Lakers’ wounds? Sure.
Are his points sound? Absolutely.
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