Road to Revival: Salvaging the failed Westbrook Experiment
After the Lakers were defeated in their season opener against the Golden State Warriors in late October, I wrote in my first column of the season, “At the end of the day, the Lakeshow still houses two basketball unicorns — I think they’ll be just fine.”
The Lakers were far from “just fine.” I was wrong, just like LeBron James, the Lakers front office and former Head Coach Frank Vogel. However, it didn’t cost me my job like it did for Vogel.
The ominous signs of a failed experiment were present from Game 1. Coming into this season, the Lakers had won 74% of the games James and Anthony Davis played together — only an enigma in the form of a 6-foot-3 point guard could derail this type of dominance. In the 2021-22 season, the Lakers had a .500 record in the 22 games the two unicorns shared the court, a staggering drop off that brought to light a multitude of issues etched into the Lakers core.
There is no reason the Lakers shouldn’t be a lock for the playoffs next year with James and Davis. Here’s how the Lakers can recoup and progress on their road to revival, step-by-step.
Step 1: The right man at the helm
It may seem crazy to fire a coach that raised another banner in crypto.com Arena just two seasons ago, but that 2020 championship winning squad was the perfect fit for Vogel’s system. The roster, ripe with “3-and-D” players who knew their role next to two superstars, enabled Vogel to run circles around other coaches in the Orlando bubble. His picture-perfect schemes aided the Lakers in having the third best defensive rating in the league that season.
But Vogel is a system coach, unable to adapt without the right pieces at his disposal. When he couldn’t salvage his trainwreck of a team composed of NBA veterans with miles on their bodies, his players stopped giving maximum effort night-in and night-out. It was a recipe for disaster.
The next Lakers head coach needs to have the team’s trust and faith. The Lakers gave up on Vogel early in the season because they didn’t believe in him, so there was no one to light a fire under them when must-win games rolled around. LeBron will never take a step back in being involved in the way his team operates, but this next coach has to be one that he respects, trusts and will demand of him a consistent effort on the defensive end.
A few names have been thrown out into the mix: Utah’s Quin Snyder, Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers, even Michigan’s Juwan Howard or a potential long shot with Toronto’s Nick Nurse. Whoever comes out on top has their work cut out for them. Resurrecting this broken Lakers team will be no easy feat.
Step 2: Trading the enigma
Anyone who has watched even the Lakers all season could tell you that Russell Westbrook needs to be traded. But, let’s be fair to Westbrook first — he was set up to fail. This team was built to none of his strengths, and he lost a lob threat and pick-and-roll partner when Davis got hurt.
But the fit with LeBron was clunky and awkward, neither wanting to play off-ball. Westbrook’s insistence on playing his own brand of basketball and shutting out Vogel pointed to an imperative breakup.
Westbrook will likely opt into his $47 million player option in the offseason. I mean, who wouldn’t?
The expiring nature of his contract could be appealing to a rebuilding team like the Indiana Pacers, who could offload Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield’s contracts to the Lakers to clear up cap space for future seasons. The Charlotte Hornets could be in the mix as well — a trade likely centered around Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier.
The Lakers’ hands are tied, with roster flexibility on the horizon only if they attach their future 2027 or 2029 first-round pick to Westbrook. Who knows what the team will look like so far down the road? But when you have a player of LeBron James’ caliber, you must move all your chips onto the table.
Step 3: Youth, energy and defense
Malik Monk, Austin Reaves and Stanley Johnson were bright spots during a dark Lakers season, all warranting contracts for next season. Even Talen Horton-Tucker, who drastically underachieved this season, should be given another chance in more spaced out lineups.
The Lakers tried to run veteran-heavy lineups through the season, which heavily backfired into a 33-49 record. Avery Bradley, Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington and Kent Bazemore all need to be shown the door. The front office must infuse this team with a balance of young guns and veterans that can still compete at an NBA level, using the 2020 championship squad as a blueprint.
The Lakers finished the season with 41 starting lineups and 33 wins. Add continuity and chemistry onto the long-winded list of things that the Lakers need.
Top to bottom, the Lakers should look a whole lot different next season, or they could be staring down a dark road for years to come, reminiscent of the post-Kobe Bryant era.
Sahil Kurup is a sophomore writing a column about the Los Angeles Lakers season. His column “Road to Revival” runs every other Friday.