But that’s precisely what the Los Angeles Lakers face in the weeks leading up to the start of the NBA season.
Hot on the heels of his 36th birthday, Kobe Bryant—a pair of season-ending injuries to his detriment—is no longer the peerless force of a decade ago. From here on out, his game will be defined more through guts and guile than sheer athletic grace.
For L.A. to stand the slightest chance of crashing the Western Conference playoff party, Bryant needs a supporting cast capable of shouldering the playmaking load.
Sadly, the Lakers’ summer shopping spree has thus far yielded little more than flotsam on the fringes.
Just how desperate are the 16-time NBA champs? According to USA Today’s Sam Amick, L.A. recently conducted a workout for a slew of agents, including Daniel Orton, Dexter Pittman, Toney Douglas, Ben Hansbrough, Malcolm Lee and, last but not least, former No. 2 overall pick and basketball bon vivant Michael Beasley.
Such summer trials are anything but rare occurrences, of course. Still, all it takes is a fleeting glance at the Lakers’ depth chart to grasp how dire the situation is—particularly on the perimeter.
Beyond Bryant, the only wing one could reasonably expect to start for more than half the NBA’s teams is Nick Young, whom the Lakers recently re-signed to a four-year, $21.5 million tender, per Amick.
Coming off a season in which he tallied career highs in points, true-shooting percentage and overall player efficiency, Young is, by all accounts, a fine piece to have. Even if the deal’s length and largesse feel a bit extreme.
Still, Young’s importance hasn’t been lost on his legendary teammate.
