The scrutiny train of the Los Angeles Lakers is quite long and hopping on board is the former NBA coach, George Karl. With a reputation of speaking out, George Karl had a few things to say about the franchise and in it the current head coach, JJ Redick. The possible departure of LeBron James has the Lakers move towards a direction that rebuilds around Luka Dončić with much worry around Redicks’ coaching decisions and roster flaws. Karl’s jab at the Lakers is one to viewed as a concern for the franchise.
George Karl criticizes the Lakers’ Playoff performance
Bringing in an analysis as a basketball professional, the former NBA coach George Karl, sent a post on X pointing out the performance of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves, while hitting a nerve. With post, “Just realized it’s been 15 years since the Lakers played a game in June!!”, the head coach points to the success of the Lakers we have not seen in a while, however overlooking their 2021 playoff appearance.
In addition to the criticism faced by the franchise, the social media post hit a nerve as the team looks to working on their athleticism, and interior defence. Karl fetching everyone on social media, he includes Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick saying, “Maybe previous coaching experience does matter to be a head coach in the NBA.”
While Redick has faced a lot of criticism, many say that Karl’s post is more than a personal grudge but an eye opener to the team’s instability. A roster that needs immediate reshuffling and the multiple coach changes, perhaps the Lakers should receive Karl’s post as more than another scrutinizing post but as a wakeup call.
Lakers’ future plans around Luka Dončić
Looking to potentially grow and regroup outside of their longstanding star player, LeBron James, the Lakers have faced a disappointing playoff game and is currently working around Luka Dončić. Joining the Los Angeles Lakers from a trade involving Anthony Davis, Dončić is the now star of the show, and his great numbers contribute a lot to the Lakers.
While the playoffs were disappointing, Dončić showed a great average of 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, however the need for defence improvement and support from other players showed heavily. The offseason is important for a rebuild of the Lakers and a report on the matter says, “L.A.’s summer will be massive as their No. 1 priority will be to build a contender alongside Luka Dončić.”
With much dependency on the player and his long-term presence in the Lakers not guaranteed, the franchise is prepared to offer him a $229 million extension, keeping him in the Lakers jersey for four more years. Not prepared to say goodbye to LeBron James, GM Rob Pelinka is working on keeping the player regardless of the rebuild around Dončić.
Karl’s History of Criticizing the Lakers
The criticisms of the Lakers from George Karl are anything but new and this habit has been ongoing for a long time. From labelling the Lakers’ 2020 championship as a “bubble fluke” to even questioning LeBron James’ leadership in the franchise, the former coach makes it routine to pick out flaws of the team. The recent post critique of JJ Redick and his lack of experience is another moment to add to the list of Karl’s criticizing history.
Mentioned by a source, “Karl is among the many critics who take shots at the Lakers whenever the opportunity arises.” The irony of Carl’s son, Coby Karl having player history in the Lakers is one to be studied, with some saying that George Karl’s opinion on the Lakers is personal. His comments may seem to be baseless considering his coaching career marked with no championship.
Entering their uncertain postseason, the Los Angeles Lakers have the opportunity to restructure and grow out of early playoff exits. Featuring in criticizing posts such as George Karl’s tweets highlights the pressure the franchise is in. Regardless of whether the criticism stems from personal attachments, the truth behind the post is one to acknowledge and the team’s instability should be taken note of. The Lakers rebuilding around Luka Dončić, with the possible departure of LeBron James, the franchise finds themselves back at the drawing board on the search for direction, a structured roster and management stability.
