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Nick Wright is unimpressed with the LA Lakers front office for not surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis with a contending roster. While reacting to TNT analyst and former player Charles Barkley's comments about the Lakers receiving attention despite their poor record, Wright said James and AD's dominance makes them interesting to watch.
However, he believes they won't win games without an adequate supporting cast. Here's what the analyst said on Fox Sports' First Things First show:
"They [Lakers] are to me super interesting because... The Lakers might have the best top 2 in the league & they can't win because of total organizational malpractice by the front office.
"LeBron and AD are averaging on the season (a combined) 55/20/10. Seems good... They can't win games because it's Troy Brown Jr., Patrick Beverley and Austin Reaves is the ninth man on a championship team, and for the Lakers it's like he's their fourth best player."
After a dismal 2-8 start, the Lakers have looked like a completely different team. They've played with tremendous resiliency despite a roster that isn't well-balanced. LA beat a team like the Milwaukee Bucks on the road while they had a chance to close out other contenders like the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been the only consistent players and the main reason the Lakers have at least looked competitive. Take them out, and LA is inarguably a lottery team. It stops them from beating teams like the Sixers and Celtics in late-game situations, as the burden always falls on their superstars.
LA Lakers are looking to make moves and improve their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis
The LA Lakers have been one of the most frequently mentioned teams in trade rumors this past offseason. They haven't made any major moves, but that could change as the trade deadline nears. LA is reeling in 12th place in the West with an 11-16 record.
According to NBA rumors, the Lakers have made calls for Knicks duo Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish and former star Kyle Kuzma of late. They are also keeping an eye on Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic and Bulls trio DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Alex Caruso. At the same time, Pacers duo Buddy Hield and Myles Turner remain on their radar.
Also read: LA Lakers discussed sending Patrick Beverley and a protected first-rounder for Bojan Bogdanovic
The Lakers have probably realized it's now or never for them, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been on a dominant run over the last few weeks. The former is averaging 26.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, while the latter has bagged 28.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Davis is also in the MVP and DPOY conversation. He has played like the best player in the league, dominating both sides of the ball. AD has, in fact, been a bigger difference maker than LeBron James, which is what the Lakers need as he is their superstar presence in the long run.
The LA Lakers have earned way too many moral victories at this point with their imbalanced roster, and if they can improve in areas like shooting and center depth, they could look like an entirely different unit.
Guess the Lakers players!
