2009-2010 Finish: 37-45

What went bad

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When crackerjack GM Wizkid returned to the NLL to helm the floundering Lakers, the big trade to bring his favorite star to Los Angeles was meant to re-vitalize the franchise. But when Gilbert Arenas pulled a gun on Javaris Crittenden, he was suspended for the season after appearing in only 18 games. This was especially bad for a player who combined for 17 games the two seasons prior in Indiana. At least the guy they traded to get Arenas (Blake Griffin) missed the entire season as well.

But what about the rest of the season? GM WizKid tried to clean up the clutter at the beginning of the year, trading Tyrus Thomas to the Raptors for Raymond Felton and moving out Roger Mason, Kendrick Perkins, Al Thornton, Mickael Pietrus and Jordan Hill to the Heat for David West, John Salmons and D.J. White.

With Arenas out, the Lakers were a team of small forwards trying to cover all the positions. A deal later in the season tried to remedy the situation, sending Salmons and Salmons and Hilton Armstrong to the Thunder for Troy Murphy and Mario West. But with leader Arenas off the court and suspended, the talented Laker squad did nothing with WizKid’s magic and they faltered.

What went worse

The final blow came when WizKid announced his retirement from the NLL yet again. This will be his last go around in the league and while the Lakers are better off now than when he took over, WizKid’s NLL luck finally hit the wall as this once mighty franchise continued its losing streak.

Stars

- David West, PF -

West has been shuttled around a lot in this league, but season in and season out he remains a great option at power forward. His numbers were down a little in his career debut with the Lakers, but his 15ppg and 7.8rpg are still really good. However, he really needs to step it up next if he wants to remain in the star slot.


- Luol Deng, SF –

Once a goat, Deng had his best NLL season yet. He finally got healthy, missing only 12 games, and rained down 17.7ppg. Deng finally made good on his potential and hopefully the Lakers will be his home for good.

Goats

- Gilbert Arenas, PG –

All I wanna do is (boom boom boom) and (ca-ching) take your money.




Looking to the future

Once the season ended, the Lakers brought in another blast from the past to take over for the departed WizKid. One time NLL GM Greenmig (and former champion) is back, folks and he vows to lead the Lakers back to their storied reputation. Let’s hope the vet, who has to battle a second job and children, can find the time to make it happen!

In the draft, the Lakers grabbed Kansas junior Cole Aldrich. The center brings size to a team that sorely needs it, especially with rumors of Murphy being traded and the slow development of Hasheem Thabeet. Aldrich has a great basketball IQ and could become one of the best centers in the game. The only thing that could limit him is his limited athleticism. At pick 22, the team grabbed Memphis guard Elliot Williams. The sophomore is a great athlete but still needs to work on his shot. Considering the Lakers bench, he will see some decent minutes this year.

So now what? The Lakers begin the season already over the salary cap and still need to sign Aldrich and Williams. Felton will likely jet for more money elsewhere. So where does that leave the Lakers? With the return of Arenas, they need either a legit starting SG or PG. West and Jeff Green are redundant, so Greenmig should really trade one for a guard. Deng could slide back to his natural SF position that way. In order to save money, the team could also move Murphy if they are feeling confident enough in Aldrich, but Greenmig may want to re-consider. That said, the bench is an absolute mess. Will Arenas play? Can Greenmig find the right balance? Will the Lakers ever be good again? So many questions!