The Los Angeles Lakers were unable to beat the Denver Nuggets in the first-round series in the NBA Playoffs. And perhaps nobody is more upset about the team’s shortcomings than former Lakers great Magic Johnson.
Johnson is of course beloved by the Lakers fanbase for his 13-year tenure with the team, helping the organization win five NBA Championships.
Perhaps the most frustrating factor for Lakers fans about the loss to the Nuggets in the series is that there really wasn’t a game that the Nuggets completely dominated the entire game. In fact, the Lakers led at halftime in every single game of the series.
It sure seems like if a few things went differently in the series, the Lakers could have and probably should have won the series.
But still, they couldn’t get it done. And according to Magic Johnson, the Lakers are going to “have a problem” in the future with a number of young teams emerging this offseason as contenders in the Western Conference.
“Laker Nation, we have a problem,” tweeted Johnson. “All the good teams in the West are young and talented: the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, the Thunder, and the Mavs. And the BIGGEST elephant in the room is the Spurs, who with Victor Wembanyama, will definitely be a playoff team next season. For the Lakers to compete with all these teams, the roster MUST improve.
Magic does certainly have a point here. Teams like the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Mavericks all appear to be getting better each season with young talent starting to thrive. And it’s no secret that the Lakers, led by 39-year-old LeBron James, aren’t getting any younger.
It sure seems like the Lakers should certainly look into acquiring some young talent this offseason to potentially help take some of the workload away from the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But that is obviously easier said than done for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
