When it comes to the Lakers, only one thing matters.
asserted
thing → come → Lakers
That’s what happens when you’re a 17-time championship organization.
asserted
you → ’ → ?
That’s what happens when guys named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant have worn your jersey.
asserted
guys → ’ → jersey
It’s title or bust.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
It’s Larry O’Brien or 911.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
So, when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka learned that LeBron James was leaving after eight seasons in free agency, he had three goals.
asserted
he → learn → goals
He wanted to re-sign Austin Reaves.
asserted
He → want → Reaves
He wanted a franchise center.
asserted
He → want → center
And he wanted to fill out the roster with young guys who could dribble, pass and shoot.
uncertain
who → want → guys
“We felt like we accomplished all those things,” Rob Pelinka said Thursday in his first availability since last season ended.
asserted
season → feel → availability
That begs one question.
asserted
That → beg → question
So, does he believe they’re real championship contenders?
asserted
they → believe → ?
Then came some humming and hawing.
asserted
humming → come → ?
A bit of honesty, A tacit acknowledgement that as of now, the Lakers are still nipping at the heels of the West’s juggernauts, ie, the Spurs and Thunder.
asserted
Lakers → nip → juggernauts
“As [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] pointed out, there’s no off-season where you can check every single box you’re hoping to check,” Pelinka said.
asserted
Pelinka → point → box
“But we felt like the major ones we did, and the work continues.
asserted
work → feel → ones
But we feel like we’re on the path of being a really competitive championship-level team.”
asserted
we → feel → path
But that’s when things got interesting.
asserted
things → ’ → ?
Redick had a different take.
asserted
Redick → have → take
He spoke into microphone, unprompted.
asserted
He → speak → microphone
“I’m confident we’re going to develop as a team into a championship-level team this year,” Redick said.
asserted
Redick → ’m → team
In that moment, it seemed a bit far-fetched.
asserted
it → seem → moment
It was the type of thing a coach has to say.
asserted
coach → have → thing
You know, lip service, if you will.
asserted
you → know → ?
But then again, we’ve seen Pelinka’s almost radical belief in the Lakers before, laughed it off and then realized we chuckled too soon.
asserted
we → see → it
Remember when the Lakers lost their two leading scorers in Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to injuries against the Thunder on April 2?
asserted
Lakers → remember → April
Obituaries were being penned in purple and gold ink.
asserted
Obituaries → pen → ink
But Redick said the Lakers wouldn’t drop the rope.
asserted
Lakers → say → rope
He pulled players aside to try to convince them to believe.
asserted
He → pull → them
Heck, he had to convince his own coaching staff.
asserted
he → have → staff
Then the Lakers pulled off the improbable.
Missing their two stars, the 41-year-old LeBron James put the Lakers on his arthritic shoulders and led them past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
asserted
James → pull → playoffs
Nearly everyone who got playing time made monster contributions, including Luke Kennard ephemerally transforming into a star and Marcus Smart channeling his prime.
asserted
Smart → get → prime
The Lakers lack perimeter defense.
asserted
Lakers → lack → defense
They made a huge gamble on Kessler, who needs to jump from being an elite rebounder and rim protector into a defensive beast for them to have a shot.
asserted
them → make → shot
They need time for their revamped roster to gel.
asserted
roster → need → time
Not when the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama has spent all summer lamenting blowing double-digit leads in his first Finals appearance last June.
asserted
Wembanyama → spend → appearance
Not when reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stewed for months about being sent home in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
asserted
Alexander → reign → Finals
Pelinka teed up Redick.
asserted
Pelinka → tee → Redick
He completely revamped the roster around Dončić.
asserted
He → revamp → Dončić
He rolled the dice and took risks and put himself on the line for this to work.
asserted
this → roll → line
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
