A few days before closing the year 2022, the time for good resolutions has come. It’s time to make a few promises between two drinks, and to keep them as much as possible, especially if we’ve kept them publicly. Rob Pelinka must precisely face this reality: that of having made promises to LeBron James last September, and not keeping them today with the Lakers.
It’s a passage that came back to the fore, following the match this Sunday evening.
A second half atrocity offered by the Lakers, demolished by a Dallas team yet far from convincing, and who did not have to overplay to get rid of Californian visitors. As a symbol, that night LeBron became the player with the most games played (17) on Christmas Eve in NBA history, and the King planted 38 points in a loss of absolute sadness.
Blasé, accepting this match as another, LeBron made his formal press conference before joining his family as soon as possible.
And the general public of the basketball world could only observe their fallen king, exhausted, giving everything in battle but with only a toothpick and a half shield to resist.
But what passage are we talking about, exactly?
This passage, held on media day in the Lakers camp, by Rob Pelinka himself.
“I want to be extremely clear on the following point. There’s been a lot of speculation around the Lakers about whether we’re going to trade our future draft picks. Yes or no ? Will they do it? Well let me be abundantly clear: we have one of the greatest players of all time on our team in LeBron James. He signed up with us with a long-term contract, a three-year extension. So, yes, obviously, we will do absolutely everything we can, Draft picks included, to make transfers that will allow us to help LeBron, so that he can play for the title. He committed himself to this franchise. So it is a commitment that must be bilateral, and I tell you today that it is.
We were on September 27, 2022.
Exactly 3 months ago, all stacks.
Three months have passed, ups and downs have emerged, and the Lakers are now at rock bottom.
The Lakers are as much in the title race as Santa Claus is in the race for reality, and Anthony Davis’ recent injury has only confirmed that horrible situation.
So of course, we can say that the comments made by Rob Pelinka three months ago were above all a communication taf, PR in the text in order to calm the media who were starting to show up at the door of the president of the Lakers, stretched fork. The problem ? Since then, there is a man who has kept his word, and another who has not.
The man who kept his word is averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists at almost 38 years old, continuing to defy the laws of nature. LeBron shows up, comes back to each game, is not perfect far from it but he honors his part of the contract. The King made sure, both mentally and physically, to tick his own box. And whether we like the player or not, we do.
Rob Pelinka, meanwhile, oscillates between diametrically opposed reports. Between the desire to make a move, and that of not destroying the future flexibility of the Lakers. But what future are we talking about? If LeBron watches the Playoffs from the sofa for the next few years, the Lakers’ short-term future will be one of shame, that of not having surrounded LBJ as it should, as a king deserves before leaving forever.
This situation will continue to animate the bars of Los Angeles, between those who are angry with LeBron for having pushed the Lakers to find themselves in this state (Westbrook deal), and those who want to see Rob Pelinka out of this franchise. But the more time passes, the more the clock ticks, and the more the discomfort grows.
What can Rob Pelinka do? If we are pragmatic, we realize that he will not transform the Lakers season into a headache transfer by February 9. But yesterday’s promises are still not kept, while the end of LeBron’s career draws near. At some point, we will have to act.
Source texte : OC Register