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The LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets were the top two favorites to win the NBA championship this season. Fast forward to the postseason, the Lakers failed to reach the postseason, while the Nets were blanked 4-0 in the first round. Fox Sports' Chris Broussard believes the team from Hollywood had a more disappointing season.
On "The Odd Couple" podcast, Broussard and Rob Parker discussed the Lakers and Nets' campaigns. Both were unanimous that the Lakers had the poorer season than the Nets. Broussard pointed out that the Nets made the playoffs, while the Lakers did not even qualify for the play-in, saying:
"They didn't make the play-in. At the end of the day, at least the Nets gave themselves a shot ... It has to be the Lakers. Even though we knew it wasn't a good fit, you couldn't envision them not making the playoffs."
He continued:
"And that was incredible, that level of futility ... There was nothing to feel good about with the Lakers at all. I mean, yes, LeBron had a great year individually, but it was such a bad season."
The LA Lakers were the favorites to win the Western Conference after acquiring Russell Westbrook in the offseason. However, the Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook never got going. Injuries hampered the team, and they never developed any chemistry. The Lakers did not win back-to-back games from January till the final week of the season.
Meanwhile, the Nets had a lot of drama from Kyrie Irving's vaccination status to James Harden wanting out of the team. Harden was traded for Ben Simmons, who never suited up due to a back injury. Kevin Durant returned in time to lead the Nets into the postseason, but they were swept by the Boston Celtics.
What's next for LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets?
Both the LA Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets will have very interesting offseasons. The Lakers and Nets will have to overhaul their rosters around their superstars. The Lakers need to find a new coach who can lead the team back into contention.
Meanwhile, the Nets could retain coach Steve Nash, who'll need to find ways to make Ben Simmons effective alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They also have to make a decision about Irving's extension, while also trying to make a very good defensive roster.
The Lakers have the same problem, as they traded their best defensive players for Westbrook. They have limited cap space to work on and try to improve their roster. The Lakers front office doesn't seem to be in sync with Klutch Sports, the agency representing LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so things could get interesting.
