Lakers nation isn’t accustomed to being out of title contention—fighting just to stay out of the Western Conference cellar is a whole new nightmare altogether.
That’s the position the Lakers find themselves in now.
At 19-36, L.A. is just one win clear of dead last in the conference. They are on pace for only 28 wins, which would be the lowest total since the franchise's final year in Minneapolis over 50 years ago. And they just snapped an unfathomable eight-game home losing streak.
It was inevitable that the short-term, win-now strategy that the front office has employed for the past few seasons would eventually catch up to them.
After all, you can’t swap spare parts and a bag of magic beans for an in-his-prime Pau Gasol every year.
The Steve Nash trade completely backfired. So did the idea of Dwight Howard being the bridge to the future. Metta World Peace and Mike Brown are being paid eight figures to ply their respective trades elsewhere.
Now Kobe Bryant is battling serious injury issues as he enters the twilight of his career and Gasol is heading into free agency this summer after somehow not being traded for the 14th consecutive rumor cycle.
Call it the end of an era.
Meaning it’s time for the Lakers to bust out the R-word that makes all NBA fan bases groan.
Re-build.
Yes, it’s finally time for the organization to start fresh, beginning with a change in mentality.
This season has been a humbling experience, and the franchise should work from that framework of humility when building the next great Lakers team.
The Lakers aren’t entitled to superstar players. Hopefully Mitch Kupchak and the brain trust understand that already, but the fans need to grasp that...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
