Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dwight Howard blames Rob Pelinka for Lakers' recent struggles

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Aug 27, 2024 8:24 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers last won an NBA championship in 2020, where they overcame all odds during the NBA bubble. The following summer, GM Rob Pelinka retooled the roster, leading to multiple years of struggle for the LeBron James-led team.

During a recent episode of "DH12 Above The Rim," former Lakers big man Dwight Howard noted how Pelinka's tinkering with the roster cost the franchise an opportunity to secure a second championship. Howard was part of the 2020 championship team and believes they had something special.

"I'm going to tell you who it was. Rob Pelinka, man!" Howard said. "God, Rob. Why did you do that to us? Rob, come on. I still love you, Rob. We still had the squad and we could have run it back."

Howard's comments are somewhat satirical. However, there's an argument to be made that Pelinka moved too quickly to rebuild the Lakers roster, ending any chance of securing another championship in the following years. It's worth noting that the Lakers didn't make the conference finals the following season and were a first-round exit earlier this summer.

Los Angeles has now changed direction. It hired JJ Redick and tasked him with implementing a system that helps develop younger talent while also modernizing the team's on-court production. Time will tell whether Redick was the correct choice for the job, yet it's certainly a notable shift from Pelinka's usual slapdash roster construction strategy.

The Lakers have all the necessary ingredients to challenge for a championship in the coming years. However, there will always be a question of whether the 2020 team could have brought further success to the franchise had it been allowed to do so.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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