Lakers: Four steps to win a title by the 2020 season
By Jason Reed
It has been seven years since the Los Angeles Lakers last won the NBA Championship. What five steps can the franchise take to end the drought before 2021?
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of, if not the, most prestigious franchises in NBA history. The only other franchise that sits in the upper echelon is the Boston Celtics. With 17 championships to the Lakers’ 16, the Celtics are the most successful NBA franchise. However, Boston has not had the same star power and long-term success the Lakers have had.
That is why the Lakers’ current dry spell is something unseen in franchise history. If Los Angeles does not make the postseason this year, it will mark the fifth consecutive such season. In the franchises entire history prior, dating back to 1948, they have only missed the postseason a combined five times. In nearly 60 years, 50% of the Lakers’ “bad seasons” have come since 2014.
A large part of that is the organization’s lack of planning after Kobe Bryant fell out of superstar production. Bryant certainly is one of the best to ever do it, but the team did a poor job of preparing for a life after Bryant.
Luckily, we are here. The Lakers have more promise than they have had in the last four years. With young new stars such as Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, mixed with the established young talent and veterans such as Brook Lopez, the Lakers finally look at least respectable. Let’s take it one step further and look at four steps to win a title before the end of 2020.