Lakers season preview: Three reasons LA will fail to make the playoffs
By Jason Reed
The 2017-18 NBA season is within one week from tipping off. As promising as this new season may be for the Lakers, the team will miss the playoffs yet again.
Lonzo Ball’s goal for this season sums of the collective thoughts of the Los Angeles Lakers fan base; make the playoffs.
Los Angeles has not made the postseason since the 2012-13 season, in which they were swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers’ last playoff win was on May 18, 2012; a 99-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City went on to win that series in five games. Lonzo Ball was in the eighth grade.
Since then, the domination of the Kobe-led Lakers has faded as his body began to fade to father time. It started with just 27 wins, then 21 wins, 17 wins and finally last season we saw improvement in 26 wins. Bryant officially played his last game on April 13, 2016. Lonzo Ball was a senior in high school; going 35-0 in route to a State Championship.
Los Angeles was lost without Bryant. Bryant, who had been the face of the franchise for the entire millennium, was the backbone of the entire organization. When his career entered its final chapters, you saw how unprepared the Lakers really were.
However, the team now has a new look full of young talent and big personalities. Love him or hate him, Lonzo Ball has now become the face of this franchise. Whether he flops or succeeds, all eyes will be on him and his goal this season – to bring the Lakers back to the postseason for the first time in five years.
Here are three reasons why Ball and company will fail on their quest for the playoffs in year one.