The Los Angeles Lakers are a franchise in transition. Now, it appears they are flat out tanking. According to reports, the Lakers have decided to shut down F Luol Deng and C Timofey Mozgov for the final 15 games of the season. One reason the Lakers might be tanking is their first-round pick in the 2017 draft is top three protected. Therefore, if the pick goes below three, the pick goes to the 76ers. That would be a killer for the Lakers. Currently, the Lakers have the second worst record in the NBA.
I believe this a wise decision. You have to protect your assets. For now, the young guys play and develop. More importantly, you try to ensure you get a top three pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have a lot of work to do to get this team back to respectability. We’ll see if they can get it done.
For now, I say tank on Lakers!!
