The Ringer NBA Show - Who’s to Blame for the Lakers' Disastrous Season | Weekends With Wos

Episode Date: March 20, 2022

Wos is joined by SB Nation’s Sabreena Merchant. They go down the line and discuss who is to blame for the Lakers' struggles this season, and then ask what the team can do in the offseason to improve (1:46). Then they talk about Sabreena's alma mater, Duke, Coach K's legacy, and the change to the program's image (24:37). Host: Wosny Lambre Guest: Sabreena Merchant Associate Producer: Isaiah Blakely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For as long as I've known the NBA, it's been a Stars League. But even among the Stars, there's an exclusive club. Russell and Dr. Jay, Jordan, Kobe. They're all part of a select group that paved the way for the NBA superstar of today. And some even shared secrets with each other along the way. From Spotify and the Ringer podcast network, I'm Jackie McMullen. And this is the icons club. Welcome to the latest edition of Weekends with Woz on the Ringer NBA podcast.

Of course, I'm your host, Big Wasa, aka Wazzy Lambray, and I'm joined by a very special guest, a person very near and dear to my heart. Sabrina Merchant of SB Nation, what's going on, Sabrina? I'm doing well. Just happy to squeeze in some time for you during NCAA Sunday. I know. Just for the listeners so that they can understand. a little bit about you, Sabrina. I once do a birthday party

on the day of a Duke in North Carolina game, and I promise for the first hour of that party, Sabrina was glued to her telephone because she is a dukey. She's an alum. Obviously, roots for the basketball team. I was just like, your dedication

can't be this serious 10 years after the fact. How you held a birthday party at a sports bar, and I couldn't get the Duke Carolina game on a television at said sports bar. It was insane. Why should I have to be on my phone?

Well, that day was about turning up and not about sports. But I do want to talk about why I brought you on here today because I had an idea early in the week that like we can just finally just bury the Lakers just like have a funeral. It's over.

Completely. They're done. Like they've said we've packed up the season and I'd talk to myself. There'd be nobody I'd rather talk to about how disastrously this season has gone than you. And then of course,

we actually watched the Lakers game on Tuesday. Was it Tuesday or Monday? I think it was Monday. Monday against the Raptors where they just got outclassed and just pants basically. And it was dope because that was the first time you and I had watched a game together

since March of 2020 back when you were my game partner. Anytime we were at Clippers games, me and Sabrina would be watching games together. So I just like the synergy of that. Our first game watching since the pandemic started, Lakers season on the brink. Not even on the brink.

It's just done. I did want to talk to you about it. And just how do you feel about this season overall? I mean, it's an abject disaster. Like, this is the most not enjoyable Laker season of my lifetime. I've had a lot of difficulty trying to, to figure out if it's better or worse than the Byron Scott Lakers seasons because those came in with absolutely zero hope. But at the same time, like, you were being coached by Byron Scott,

who just stood there on the sidelines with his hands crossed for the entirety of the game, no matter what happened. No, no attempt at trying to make things go better. And these teams do have LeBron James. So, like, that's something that the Lakers have going for them. But just from, like, the level of expectation to where we have arrived, I never thought it would get worse. than the 12, 13 Lakers when, you know, Dwight was a disaster and Steve Nash broke his leg in the second game of the season. And then Kobe Turs is the Phillies. You mean that this is going to be fun Lakers? Yeah, those, those Lakers.

I never thought that it would get worse than that. And this is way worse than that season. Like, it's not even close. I mean, I don't understand what people look for on this team in terms of enjoyment. Like, I have a hard time picking out things that actually make me happy about the Lakers, which is saying something. I watched every game from like 14 to 17 when they were just trying to desperately save a lottery pick from the Steve Nash trade. So it's bad. Like there's just no way of getting around it.

It's really, really bad. The team sucks. They've tuned out the coach. He's going to get fired. Everyone's going to clean house in the off season and we're going to try to pretend like it never happened. You know, I think for me the worst part about this Lakers season is that it was so avoidable. Like none of this had to happen. Like none of it.

You didn't have to trade for Westbrook. You didn't have to let Caruso go. You didn't have to do this. And I think that's what's most disappointing about this is just how self-inflicted it all was. Yeah, I mean, I guess like if the buddy healed trade goes through that this is just like a conventionally bad Lakers team, you know, instead of historically just make you want to gouge your eyes out bad Laker team. But I mean, like, I just look at their DNP list on regular games and like this is the set of players who is supposed to save the team. Like how many times did we talk about Trevor Riza at the start of the season? Like, oh, you can't judge the Lakers until Trevor Risa's back because he's the fulcrum that allows you to play LeBron and AD in small ball lineups.

And Trevor Risa is not playing in games behind Wenian Gabriel and Stanley Johnson, who were free agents to start the season. I mean, it's practically like an AARP list on their DNPCD list. like Avery Bradley, who like must be the illegitimate son of Frank Vogel for the amount of love he gets on this team, like that they thought D'Andre Jordan would be capable of playing actual NBA minutes after what happened in Dallas and New York and Brooklyn and to think that, oh, we're just going to get rid of Mark Asall who is like maybe the best center partner that LeBron James has ever had in his entire career for a guy who cannot play NBA basketball anymore. It was mind-boggling to me.

I mean, who else is on this list? like Wayne Ellington's on this team. I was having this conversation with some other Laker fans earlier this week about how they need to waive somebody so that Wenian Gabriel is eligible to play in the playing in game and just like this is what we've come to that I'm thinking of who on this roster would I like to get rid of so that for one game against New Orleans in April, we can see Wenian Gabriel play. And I have five legitimate candidates just ready to go.

But like, why is this the conversation I'm having about the Lakers? who entered the season as an NBA championship candidate. Like, I'm thinking, how can I get Wenny and Gabriel on my team for postseason basketball? That is my most important priority as the Laker fan, and that's insane. I'm sorry. It's just so, so terrible.

And you have pointed out to me on Monday, too, when the Wizards recently played the Lakers, Frank Vogel gave a hug to KCP. And it was as if like, you know, back when I lived with a dog, like if you spent a long time away from the dog, when you came home, the dog was absolutely excited to see you. That's what KCP and Frank Vogel did at mid-court the other day when the Lakers played the Wizards.

And I think the Vogel of it all is kind of makes me, feel bad because I think he did such an admirable job of building like one of, legitimately one of the best defenses in the NBA and they give him a roster that just is incongruent with legitimate NBA defensive play. And of course, he gets scapegoated because the coach is the easiest guy to get rid of. But, you know, I would love to get your sense of it because, you know, when I put it out on Twitter, I was like, people were killing Vogel. I'm like, yeah, he's going to get fired and

whatever. You don't feel bad for him. His contract's fully guaranteed. He's made a decent amount of money in his career. He'll be fine. He won't be on the streets, right? However, he didn't construct this roster in the offseason. How do you feel about what he's done with the team that was presented to him? Because I think a lot of people

like, well, he didn't do anything to adjust to the new paradigm. So I thought it was an interesting idea during the off season. And I'm not going to try to defend the off season, but like the Lakers have had a top three defense for the last two seasons. I think it was even top one during that stretch when LeBron and AD were out last season, which is really impressive considering what the Lakers were working with.

Montres, heavy minutes. Yeah, it was crazy. Andre Drummond, you know, like Kyle Kuzman, these are the guys who are propping up a number one defense. And that's all Frank. And I thought it was a perfectly fine theory to say, hey, Frank, we know you can coach an elite defense. So we're going to bring in players who are a little bit worse on defense just to see if we can finally score because the idea that a team with LeBron and Anthony Davis is

struggling this much to score is a little ridiculous. So we're going to give you some more help on the offensive side of the ball and just trust you to still get things done defensively. And it has gone so poorly, just tremendously poorly that I think we've realized that no, Frank Vogel cannot coach offense, no matter what type of personnel you give him. It's just not in the cards. Like, the man needs an offensive coordinator. I'm sorry that you cheaped out on hiring Scotty Brooks, even though he's the one guy Russell

Westbrook has ever played well for his entire career. I'm sorry that you couldn't find any reasonable offensive coordinator to put next to Frank Vogel. And no, David Fisdale does not count. And no, promoting Mike Penberthee, your shooting coach during the most disastrous shooting season you've had in the 21st century does not count either. You need an actual offensive coordinator. And they didn't do that.

And so now we have a team that, one, cannot play defense and two cannot play offense. And lo and behold, that means they can't really play NBA basketball. But, I mean, I don't think Frank is blameless in this either. Like, sure, it's hard when your backup center option. as Carmelo Anthony, but like, please go small more and play Stanley Johnson and Wenling Gabriel more instead of just letting, you know, Jalen Green go pick and roll on Mello for the entirety of a fourth quarter or even last night against the Wizards when they left Mello in for the entire fourth quarter and like, I mean, or I'm sorry, when they were like switching Russell Westbrook

onto Christop forcing his post-ups and saying, hey, let's provide some defensive resistance on the seven-three guy with our six-foot something point guard. No, he's not there in the right moves to make this any better. Like the fact that Avery Bradley's still playing is a disaster. It's a joke. The fact that like it took him until literally every center on the roster got hurt to like start playing small ball is insane. It's tough.

In 2022, that's tough. That's tough. Especially when again, like you said, dude, open a night when I knew we were in for a long season. I had a feeling after the open the night because he, there was a point where he played Dwight, Westbrook, and Rondo for an extended stretch. And I was just like,

there's no, there's no theory for how this works. And there's just like little things that have compounded since then. Like we're at this Raptor's game, right? And he starts Malik Monk and Austin Reeves and is like, here, one of you is going to deal with Scotty Barnes. I don't particularly care which one it is. One of you is going to have to deal with him.

Scottie Barnes is 6'8 and just walk into the room for layups because these guys can't provide any resistance. like Frank has to do something better about that. I know the roster doesn't give him a ton of solutions, but there are more solutions in what he has attempted to create over the past 70-some games.

If the listeners are noticing the trend, we're going down the list of people that are to blame for the Lakers downfall. Of course, we have to get to Russell Westbrook who like I didn't

look, I thought, I don't know why you know, and I was talking of Ben Oliver about this. I was like, I don't know why I thought Russ would do something different. I don't know why. I just, I don't know the power of LeBron, right? Like, I watched him turn J.R. Smith into, like, a real contributor on a championship level team where, like, he's making big plays and game sevens and shit.

And, you know, I watched him get Tristan Thompson. Damn, they're $100 million. I watched him turn Month Williams into an all-star. Like, I've watched LeBron do these, take on these projects. and have great results throughout his entire career. And I was just like, look, Russ is the guy that thought he was too good to pass the ball to KD, granted. And he was indulged in that after KD left O.KC., which was so horrible, he left the heartland. God forbid somebody leaves the prairie.

And so he's been indulged in his worst natures, right? That's what's been happening to him since KD left. But I don't know why. I was like, maybe Russ could change. But it's just been, no, it's been Russ doing what he tries to do within this ecosystem that is not built for him to succeed in that specific way. And it's just been, this is, I mean, like, everybody, a lot of people, anybody who has, like, got any kind of NBA smarts, as soon as this trade went down, they were just like, how's Russ going to play with LeBron?

Come on. Like, he only thrives with the ball in his hand. And you don't want to take the ball out of LeBron's hands, right? And again, I can't say this enough. This has been an abject failure. But to you, what's been like the most disheartening or disappointing part of the rust of it all? We go through this every year with LeBron James where he says he wants a playmaker. He wants someone else to be able to run offense during the regular season.

I don't know why we fall for it every year. Every single season, these front offices just capitulate to him and say, okay, yeah, I'll bring in Isaiah Thomas. You know, I'm going to bring in Dennis Schrooter to help you out. I'm going to bring in Russell Westbrook to help you out. When has it actually gotten to the point where this guy, who they bring in to do some playmaking, is the one handling the ball during the playoffs? It never happens. It never, ever happens. And even in the regular season, like, we get to the point where, you know, right after the tip, Russ gets the ball, he gives it right to LeBron to start the half court offense. Like, he's not even running point guard in the regular season for the Lakers. Like, what was the theory behind that? I, like, I'm a delusional Laker fan. Like, I'll give you that. I talk myself into the rough. thing. I thought, hey, he's from L.A. He grew up rooting for the Lakers. Like, he watched the Lakers

on K-Cal 9. Like, you know, the Lakers mean something to him. He is going to try to make this work. And I just, there's no way for it to work. Like, either he's the point guard, which means LeBron James is playing off the ball, which as much as he says he wants to do, he doesn't actually like to do. Like, that's not the way LeBron James wants to play basketball. And so he's your backup point guard? That's great. LeBron James is playing 35 minutes a game. So he's your point guard for 13 minutes, which means you are paying $44 million for a guy who's going to be your 13-minute point guard. And that means you had to say goodbye to your best perimeter defender in Alex Cruz,

because you were unwilling to pay luxury tax on him. And you had to say goodbye to your second best perimeter defender in Contagius Caldolpup in the trade, along with Kyle Kuzma, who is your only wing defender on this roster because Le Ron James doesn't do that during the regular season. It's just this ridiculous mismanagement of resources, like to think that you're trying to win in the playoffs and you're acquiring what is objectively a regular season player at this point in Russell Westbrook's career. Like the man has not played after the first round of the playoffs since 2016 when Kevin

Grant was in a... I'm sorry, he hasn't been good. I'm sorry, but the Lakers, like, the Lakers created the blueprint for how not to defend Russell Westbrook. Like, they showed him zero attention during that playoff series. You look at the screenshots. God, that's not brought up enough from this Lakers rocket series, right? Yeah.

Like, they're playing, the Rockets are playing four on five because. because nobody is even in Russell Westbrook's vicinity. And the Lakers thought, oh, yeah, we can make that guy work. You know how our team was, like, criticized for not having enough shooting and spacing? We're going to bring in Russ, and that's going to make it better for some reason. Like, we saw it so cleanly. The Lakers obliterated the Rockets in that series. Like, James Hardin gets his, you know, cushy little fourth quarter points when they make those fake

comebacks at the end. But, like, that was a destruction of the Rockets. Like, the Rockets tore apart their entire. fabric. They reconstructed their entire team because of what happened in that playoff series. And the Lakers thought that they could take what? The third best player on that rocket statement and say, hey, yeah, we can make this work. Yeah, that's, yeah. You know what? I haven't thought about that enough that they actually embarrassed for us in the playoffs. The Lakers themselves, this core group did that. And they

said, no, let's bring that guy in because the end, you know, forfeit tangible assets. Like So the first person that ever turned me on to KCP is like this guy might be something is my boy, Ethan Sherwood Strauss, back when he was covering the Warriors for ESPN. And he was just like, look, like the only guy I've seen like just straight up stay connected with Steph on all of the crazy off ball shit that he's doing ever is KCP. So because like, you know, this is when the Warriors first started doing their stuff. And it's like, this is the only guy I've ever seen do this. And then of course, you know, Sabrina was the first version. Because I'm not going to lie. I kind of had a KCP a version.

I was just like, come on, what does this guy do? He's a shooting guard who rarely shoots, has no handle. Like, what are we doing with this guy? And Sabrina was like, no, like actually Kenny's really good. Also the first person I ever heard called him Kenny, which I then adopted and now call him Kenny all the time. It just sounds way better. It just sounds like a loving relationship between me and Casey. As if he's my own family member.

But lo and behold, you guys were right. Like what he provided on defense, man, like always in the passing lanes, could reliably guard those jittery runaround screen. Devin Booker, you know, Steph Curry type of guys, reliably guarded those guys. And, man, LeBron loved to find him, man. Like, you know, like when the weather vein for the Lakers was, is Kenny, not as he making threes, is he taking them? If KCP was taking a decent amount of threes, you know,

the Lakers' offense was in good shape. And so, yeah, they let that guy go. Everybody drink at home. Still can't believe they let Alex Caruso call. I still can't believe that shit. And then, like you said, Kuzma, who had turned himself into a nice lunch pail type of guy, like basically a scrappy-ass role player who will guard all of your wings, crashed to boards, great cutter, made threes at a decent enough reliable clip that he could stay on the

floor. And yeah, they said, let's do that for us. And you talk about the management of the roster. What are they going to do in the office? Like, what are they doing? And do you have any confidence that Rob Polink is going to do it in a way that makes any type of fucking sense? So I think step one is you trade Russell Westbrook. And if that means you have to package the 2027 first rounder and maybe even the 29 first rounder, you do it because it's just not feasible. to keep him on this roster. It's just not. Like, the vibes are so bad.

Nobody likes playing for this team. I mean, Russell Westbrook pours his heart out about how difficult this season has been for him emotionally. And LeBron is zero to say about it. LeBron who immediately attacks Anthony Davis on Twitter when Devante Adams gets traded from the Green Bay Packers so he can troll Anthony Davis. The most online superstar has nothing to say

about Russell Westbrook's emotional struggle because that is how little they can, care about each other. This team just hates each other. And unfortunately, the easiest thing to do, or not easiest, but like the number one thing you have to do because he is, unfortunately, the root of all the problems here is Russell Westbrook. You got to get rid of him. Maybe, like, you can turn that into, if you incentivize it with a couple picks, you get like an Eric Gordon back or something. And that's a player who makes a lot of sense next to LeBron James. Then you've got your mini mid-level, which I worry that they're just going to use to resign Malik Monk. And a

the very few things that have been fun about the Lakers this season, like Malik Bunk has been fun. I'm not sure he's good. Like I still have gotten there yet. Like he spent four years on a very bad Charlotte team. And now he is putting up stats on a very bad Lakers team. So like don't don't break the bank trying to bring this guy back just because you've got the Arkansas connection with him in Austin Ruse.

Like it's not worth it. I don't think it is. So yeah, you've got that mini mid level to maybe use on some other forward type guy to play next to the run in AD. And then I don't know, just get some bar. bargain base and point guard, like an Iitch Smith or like keep DJ Augustin or something because you don't actually need a playmaker to play next to LeBron James.

Like, spoiler alert, that's not the key to building a team with LeBron James. Or maybe, I don't know, maybe Rhonda will be back next off season. Like, that'll be fun. We just love it's coming back to the Lakers over and over again. Yeah, just the idea that you have to package Russ with future first. Maybe just the two firsts to get Gordon or something with it, you know, like to get an actual contributing player with him. So the first to get them off your books and then the second first to get an actual asset in return, which yeah, sounds smart. I just don't think, like Rob Polinkinca for whatever reason, just he's kind of an anonymous GM in the sense.

Like, not everybody's going to be Darry, who's basically like Colin Cowherd at this point as the amount of media that he does. but you don't really hear from Polinka much, which I think is smart on his part because he's done some pretty stupid shit in the recent year. So I wonder on what kind of sort of footing he is with the team. And, you know, I just wonder what he's going to do because I find this all to be fascinating.

Yeah, I mean, is he even the one making decisions in the Lakers' Run Office, or is it some, like, cohort of Linda and Kurt Rambis? Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. It's a little bit of a bummer that Rob is not more vocal because he was so funny in the things that he used to say. And I think we just, we made too much fun of him.

And that's really what's happened. Like he's protecting his ego a little bit. I mean, when he compared signing KCP to the Book of Genesis and Nana from Heaven, I don't know that any general manager moment is ever going to compare to that. And this is a, we're the Kenny fan club here. I know. And it's like, bro, what? would have paid so much money for the Lakers to include that clip in KCP's welcome back video, you know, when the Wizards came to play, that they did not is just another sign of organizational

malpractice on behalf of the Lakers. Like, what are you doing? So, yeah, we can, you know, it's funny, we spent zero time talking about AD and his terrible injuries and whatever. I'm not going to lie, I've been disappointed in AD this season. I thought he was going to come back and, like, play really hard and, like, show people like, no, I'm actually one of the most serious players in this league at my position. And he did the opposite.

He kind of loafed around all season and, you know, whatever. I think AD saw that the team sucked. And he was just like, yeah, I get paid either way. Because he sucks. Right. That's a big part of it. Yeah. And he mailed it in.

It feels like he mailed the season. Which is disappointing, man, because when he's right, he's one of the most fun guys to watch. And he's, you know, he's making an impact all over the floor. And he just hasn't done that. So we'll see what happens this off season. And I'm just interested to see how like, you know, because LeBron is not a Laker lifer, neither is AD, right? So you wonder like when shit went south at the end of the Kobe years, it kind of there was this feeling like that it didn't matter because it's like Kobe's a lifer. There's no, there's nothing to really discuss here.

Like everybody understands like we're not getting rid of Kobe. Kobe's not going to try to leave. Yes, his contract is God awful. But this is kind of what it is and we're moving on. It's a little different proposition when the two main guys aren't these lifelong Lakers. Like they weren't drafted by the team. They aren't these, they're seen as sort of mercenaries more so than, you know, tried and true, died in the wool Lakers. So I'll be interested to watch how that goes in the offseason.

But I want to get you out of here on a Duke note. Again, one of the biggest dukees in my life. I tweeted the other day that 13-year-old me would be disgusted by the amount of dukees I now call. personal friends. How has Coach K's last season been for you? Are you like a Coach K like person or you just like he's somebody we deal with. He built the program so we deal with him, but whatever. I mean, Duke is kind of cool now, Was, I think you have to admit.

Like, JJ Reddick is like the most lovable media personality. And this is JJ Reddick. Can you imagine 15 years ago thinking that JJ Reddick would be likable? I love his show. And not just likable, but lovable. Yeah. This is what Duke has turned into. Like, everybody wants to be Kyrie Irving, like pre-vaccination, obviously.

Jason Tatum, you know, Ranan Ingram, all of these lovable stars in the league. Yeah. This is a nice little image change that Coach Kay has created ever since being the USA basketball. Yeah. That's not a good look for us. It's really not. I mean, even JJ was clowning Grayson Allen on his latest podcast, which I never want that friendly fire. That was a bit of a bummer.

No, I'm not like a Coach K. Ackolite by any means. I mean, like, I also hate the stall offense that Duke runs at the very end of every single tournament game. I mean, the fact that we couldn't get the ball to Zion at the end of the Michigan State game in 2019 to get to the Final Four when Duke would have absolutely wrecked Virginia in that Final Four. It just still haven't gotten over that one. I mean, we lost to St. Darius Thornwell and PJ Dozier in South Carolina with the Jason Tatum, Luke Knard, like Harry Giles team. I'm like, why is that happening? I'm not, like, bowing at the altar of Mike Shoshchevsky by any means, but, like, in terms of how college coaches go, like, he's not so bad, right?

Like, he's built a pretty damn good program here. I got a national title when I was in school, one since then. Like, there's a lot of good that comes from the coach Shoshchewski experience. But it'll be interesting to see him move on because it's just, it's time for something new. Absolutely. Well, I will say this. I'm rooting against you guys today. the game is unnecessary wise

there's nobody in your life who cares about Michigan State. That's fair. Think about how much happier I would be if Duke won today. How much happier? Like, you just need more Coach Kett content honestly. Like him losing in the first weekend is no fun. It's really not. You need some grander stage for him to exit on. Yes, you're right. I do

love you dearly and I do like when you're happy, but man, watching Coach K get embarrassed. Can you name a player on this Michigan State team was? Like it's unnecessary. No, come on. I don't watch college fucking basketball. People want Palo to keep playing, right? Hallow's cool, AJ Griffin's cool, you know. This is a good due team.

Like people, you're going to find yourself unwillingly wanting like Mark Williams to do good things at the next level. I guarantee you. All right. You heard it here first. This Duke team is fun. Duke is now cool. Sabrina, you are the coolest. Thank you for doing this.

I really appreciate it. I've been wanting to get you on here for a while and I just thought this was the perfect opportunity. And I'm happy that we did this. So tell the people where they can find you and your work. because you're one of the sharpest minds in fucking sports media. So tell them where they can find your stuff. Yeah, so I cover mostly women's basketball right now for SB Nation. And you can find me on social at Sabrina J.M.

All right, there you go. That's our show for today. We'll see you guys next weekend. I'm out of here. Peace.