The Los Angeles Lakers have done nothing in free agency. Other than tying down young Max Christie to a long-term contract, GM Rob Pelinka and his team have not made any upgrades. On the contrary, almost all of the other championship contenders have improved their roster in some capacity. This led Stephen A. Smith to talk about the availability of former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers.
While taking fan questions on The Stephen A. Smith Show, one question asked if the Lakers owner Jeanie Buss should let go of Pelinka and hire Myers. To this, the long-time ESPN analyst said that could happen as Pelinka has much to prove. Moreover, he wanted the Lakers to enquire about Myers, who has won multiple championships.
I’m not advocating for his dismissal by any stretch. But if I got a guy like Bob Myers out there, it is legitimate to simply ask the question, ‘How long do you keep him on the sidelines when you have an opportunity to have him?’...Sometimes it ain’t about the other person doing a bad job. It’s about knowing what a great job this person can do because they’ve already done it.Stephen A. Smith via The Stephen A. Smith Show
Smith highlighted that Myers has proved to be a championship-winning GM. Moreover, he is also a California native. Stephen A. Smith talked about the long line of miss steps Rob Pelinka has made over the years. For instance, the revolving door of head coaches does have something to do with his decisions. Frank Vogel, after winning the 2020 NBA title, was forced to deal with injuries and bad roster moves.
That ultimately led to his departure. However, Smith does not suggest that Jeanie Buss should fire Pelinka immediately. Instead, he suggested she keep her options open. Bob Myers has already proved that he can assemble a winning team. As such, any team would benefit from his addition.
Rob Pelinka and his decisions affected the Lakers title chances
Last off-season, many crowned the Los Angeles Lakers as the off-season winners. However, as the season progressed, two insurmountable issues stood out. One was the absolute lack of effort from the younger players. Second was their inability to overcome injuries and help LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Therefore, the roster that looked great in the off-season looked unbalanced and incapable of helping them go deep into the playoffs. One of the major reasons for that was the inability of former head coach Darvin Ham to develop the younger players. It forced James, at age 39, to disregard his minutes restrictions and lead the team.
Rob Pelinka is looking to right the wrong by hiring JJ Redick, whose first and foremost task will be to develop the younger players. If that does happen and the Lakers still do not make it deep into the playoffs, the blame will be on Pelinka’s inability to get another star. Then it could be time for him to go.
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