The Lake Show has looked abysmal under the watch of D’Antoni, but in the essence of fairness, it’s worth pointing out that he has not had his full complement of players.
Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant have appeared in 16 games combined this season due to injury. That’s it.
What’s more, the moment it appeared as though the ship was sinking without any chance of salvaging the wreckage, Pau Gasol bailed on his teammates. The health issues have essentially been too difficult to overcome, and the Lakers have struggled as a result.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak understands that injuries and not coaching are to blame for L.A.’s shortcomings, per Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
We're happy with Mike. You can look back six weeks ago and say it's exciting and we're playing great. It's hard to ignore the injuries but it was a fun game to watch when we were playing without Kobe [Bryant] and anticipating his return. In other words, 'Wow, we're playing this well now and Kobe has still yet to return and neither has [Steve] Nash?' So we had high hopes.
Kupchak’s comments suggest that the organization might stand by D’Antoni past this season given the numerous setbacks the team has faced. Also, the team’s new direction might come into play.
No More Chasing 2014 Summer
The Lakers will probably not be looking to reload this offseason.
Granted, that was the initial plan, per ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst: "Several teams' executives have told ESPN.com they believe the Lakers are positioning themselves to make a run at LeBron James in 2014, when the Miami Heat st...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
