The Lakers’ drama continues with Phil Handy handing a blow. The longtime assistant coach and trainer for the Lakers sparked controversy when he took a jab at General Manager Rob Pelinka. He responded to a report that the Lakers franchise has struggled to win another championship since their 2020 victory. Many blame Pelinka for the team’s decline, including former player Dwight Howard.
It all started with Dwight Howard. The ex-NBA player recently blasted Pelinka for being responsible for the Lakers’ downfall after breaking up the 2020 championship team. The original lineup, which included LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Howard, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, worked well under Coach Frank Vogel‘s leadership.
However, for reasons best known to Pelinka, they chose not to keep the lineup intact. Instead, he added several high-level veterans but lost many key players who helped win the title. This, unfortunately, led to a decline in the team’s performance, as they went from champions to not being a threat in the Western Conference.
Howard believed that keeping the core team intact would have resulted in multiple championships instead of the one in the 2020 bubble. As such, the blame now lies on Rob Pelinka for making changes to the team. Phil Handy commented on a social media post where Howard blasted Pelinka. He wrote, “Facts!” indicating that he agreed with Howard.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis still remain with the team. New head coach JJ Redick will have to come up with something extraordinary in the upcoming season. If not, it will give rise to new ammunition for the fans and detractors to trash Pelinka and the Lakers.
Lakers’ missed opportunities as they fail to support LeBron James in his twilight years
Without a doubt, the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship aspirations were revitalized with the arrival of LeBron James in 2018. Furthermore, it culminated in a title win in 2020 alongside center Anthony Davis. However, since then, the team has struggled with injuries and poor trades, hindering their chances of further success.
With James nearing retirement, the Lakers have failed to provide adequate support for him to win in his final years. The team’s inactivity this offseason, despite attempts by general manager Rob Pelinka to make trades, has been disappointing. The prime example is the failed attempts to land Klay Thompson, who ended up with rivals, the Dallas Mavericks.
With no new addition to the squad, some of the younger players must take a big step forward. If not, they might have to wait a while before making big trades in the midseason. The road to championship number 18 and glory for their stars begins with an opening day game at the Crypto.com Arena against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 23.
