By Jason Watson (@LakerUnfiltered)
LOS ANGELES, CA – Gritty, hungry, and a dominant superstar. Oh that was last year’s Lakers team. It was also this year’s Phoenix Suns team. They absolutely deserved this series. Devin Booker showed out on a court with LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Anthony Davis.
Congratulations to the Suns for absolutely dismantling the Lakers. If James and company were not going to win a title, this was the next best outcome.
This loss will and should leave a sour taste in the organization’s mouth leading to some roster shakeup and possibly a coaching change.
The real question is what’s next. The Lakers have many decisions to make this off season. Dennis Schröeder played himself out of $84 million and potentially off of the Lakers. Montrezl Harrell lost so much value this season while being a no-show in the playoffs.
Then there’s Kyle Kuzma. As if the trade chatter wasn’t loud enough heading into the season, it is sure to be an all-time fever pitch over the summer.
There is likely going to be major changes to the roster. With only a few players under contract, look for GM Rob Pelinka to make significant moves this off season. If any of these free agents wanted to be on the team next year, this sure was not the way you wanted to go out: back-to-back blowouts including on your home court.
That goes for players and coaches alike. When you sign on to be a Laker, the expectation level is extremely high, and if it’s not met, the consequences are severe.
