After another disappointing season since winning the NBA championship in the 2020 bubble, the Lakers have fallen from grace since hanging up the championship banner. The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2022 season with a 33-49 record, with expectations of winning the NBA finals.This may be the most disappointing team in their historic franchise. The team struggled mightily with injuries during the season but it has been on a downward slope since the pandemic season.

After winning the NBA finals, the team has almost all pieces and signings swiped away due to cap salary and loss of draft picks. Making this a very free agent heavy team signing veteran players to minimum contracts to resolve their overarching needs as a team such as defense and three point shooting.

With championship aspirations, LeBron James has been one of the greatest scoring seasons ever for James’s career. Having a career high in points as well as leading the league in scoring. But not even James’s efficient effort could save this dreadful season.

“Since winning the NBA title in 2020, there’s been a steady erosion of that identity. The team tried to recapture its defensive magic the following season despite losing role players like guard Danny Green and center JaVale McGee, but injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis sabotaged any hopes of dominating on defense” says Dan Woike, a Staff writer at the LA Times.

The defense for the team ranked one of lowest in the league, compared to most stats in the NBA. 

Signing veterans as role players has not helped the team on the defensive side of the ball at all. With players missing a step from old age and external conflicts within the team. This has been a glaring problem since last season being outscored in games while being blown out in many other games due to defensive problems.

Injuries have not helped this team in any way with the team having an injury bug since the Finals win back in 2020. An unlucky stroke of injuries, starting with Anthony Davis last season with an ankle as well Lebron missing more time than ever in his career. This in a combination of Covid outbreaks and minor suspensions has crumbled this team. 

With the team having so many unpreventable problems throughout the season, there was no surprise the team had a losing record by All Star-Break. With hopes of at least being a bottom seed in the West, the Lakers hope diminished after only winning 6 games the rest of the season and being eliminated from the playoffs entirely. 

“Since the league’s All-Star break in mid-February, the Lakers have the second-worst record in the West, having won only four games. Only Portland has been worse” says Tania Ganguli, a writer for the New York Times. The team has never been this dysfunctional down the stretch of the season. 

The play on the court has not been the best also with many different line-ups due to injury as well shooting struggles throughout the whole team. This has been a nightmare for Los Angeles during this season.

The combination of all these setbacks for the team has greatly affected the outcome of the season. The future looks up for the Lakers next season as the team showed promise for the final games of the season.