That makes sense given that the expectations entering the season were fairly low. The Lakers were supposed to finish the season somewhere near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, per ESPN.com’s Summer Forecast, and Los Angeles is on pace to do just that.
This year might go down in the record books as one of the franchise’s worst ever, which is newsworthy for the most glamorous franchise in basketball. With that said, before concluding how fans will recall this season, it’s best to understand how the team got here and where it’s headed next.
Dwight Howard Sabotages Lakers
Dwight Howard’s decision to leave Los Angeles via free agency during the 2013 offseason set the franchise back.
The Purple and Gold acquired Howard via trade in the previous summer and figured he would become the face of the franchise once Kobe Bryant retired. However, Howard struggled to coexist with Bryant on the court.
Antawn Jamison shared as much with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com:
Whatever you say happened between the coaching staff, Kobe and Dwight – it was a combination of everything. Not understanding roles. Not being up front with roles. Our two superstars didn’t get along. Inside the organization as far as which coach to bring in. With that talent, that’s tough to deal with. But of course, championships and successful seasons don’t run because of what’s on the roster. You have to deal with injuries, you have to deal with certain situations that we just didn’t handle the situations at all.
The friction resulted in Howard joining the Houston Rockets.
It’s worth noting that many had projected Howard and Bryant would compete for a title in 2012-13 along with Steve Nash and Pau...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
