Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor and ‘Hoops Tonight’ host Jason Timpf discuss what’s going wrong in Los Angeles and if there’s any hope for the Lakers the rest of the season. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Most Lakers fans I talk basketball with regularly have been out on this team.
A while, simply because if you look at their starting lineup, they do not have what they consider to be the future and/or a reliable Playoff player in the starting five, because Deandre Ayton has fallen off.
Way in the last month and change, or at the three.
And so, they’re just too far away from being able to put together a championship-level five.
And then, as you start to dig deeper into the roster, there’s a huge deficit.
Athleticism and jump-shooting talent that it’s become almost impossible to overcome.
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Any sort of bad performance from their stars Their stars have to be fantastic to win Because of that lack of shooting and athleticism talent down the roster.
With Luka operating below the level of a top-tier superstar, With no Austin, with a 41-year-old LeBron, it’s just shining a giant spotlight on what is.
In my opinion, a travesty of modern NBA roster construction.
You need athleticism and shooting to succeed in the modern NBA.
And Rob has somehow managed to get none of that, uh, around those guys over the last years.
Is this just a buy year?
As kind of hinted at ahead of the season by Pelinka, that they’re thinking 2027?
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Is that all this is, or is there any fixing this team?
I think there’s an outside shot if they really nail this deadline, to at least get into that second tier of contenders, where, like, yeah, If things break right, you see them in the Western Conference Finals, kind of.
But I think a championship is essentially out of the cards.
And so, essentially, what you have to look at is, if LeBron’s 41, Then you basically need a starting 3, a starting 4, and a starting five at some point in the next few years.
I don’t think Rui’s good enough to be the starting four.
And so, you have to begin the process of achieving those three starting spots.
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Long-term alongside Luka.
So, whatever deal gets you in that direction At this deadline, it’s not even for this year’s championship.
You’re starting to build a team that could compete next year or the following.
Year.
I actually think the Lakers should target Center position first, then start to look toward three and four after that.
But ultimately, anything that can incrementally build for the future, They’ve got to consider at this deadline.