The Lakers, out of the 'play offs', fall into the abyss

The Los Angeles Lakers sealed this morning the chronicle of a death foretold.

Far from competing for the title, as is expected of a team with such a brilliant history —and with LeBron James in its ranks—, the franchise led by Frank Vogel lost last night against the Phoenix Suns (110-121), so, Added to the victory of the San Antonio Spurs against the Denver Nuggets (116-97), he was left without mathematical options to play in the

, a qualifying tournament prior to

the NBA

With a record of 31 wins and 48 losses, the Lakers thus consummate one of the biggest failures in recent league history.

Outside of the fight for the

before spring, the Los Angeles team focused all its efforts on getting the ticket to the playoffs through

, reserved for the teams that occupy seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth position in the conference.

Nor was it possible.

After a fall without brakes, in which only the stellar nights of LeBron James made up the nonsense, the 2020 champions are already on vacation with three games remaining in the regular phase.

But the debacle is not the result of a day.

Not even a bad month.

The purple and gold franchise sealed its descent into hell much earlier, in the buildup to the season.

After the incorporation of Russell Westbrook, MVP of the league in 2017, Rob Pelinka, chief of operations of the Los Angeles conglomerate, decided to bring together Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Kent Bazemore, players with a past in the team.

Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo and DeAndre Jordan also joined.

All to try to repeat the title of two seasons ago.

In fact, with such names on paper, the Lakers started as one of the main favorites to win the ring at the beginning of the course: second, after the Brooklyn Nets, according to the Las Vegas bookmakers.

The reality, however, has shattered all Los Angeles expectations.

With an average age of 30 years -the highest in the league-, the Lakers are a poorly designed squad, unbalanced from the beginning and with a lack of chemistry that has been evident more than desired throughout the season.

Also, injuries haven't helped.

The so-called "Big Three" (main trio) of the team, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, have only coincided on the floor in 21 games.

Booed at home on more than one occasion, the players have refused to acknowledge the catastrophe until the math left them no choice.

Last night, after the loss to the Suns, Russell Westbrook, one of the most noted by the fans, acknowledged that not being in the playoffs is "disappointing on many levels", but "little can be done about it".

Something more forceful, James Worthy, winner of three rings with the Los Angeles franchise, admitted feeling incredulous after the game this morning.

"It's incredible to think that this team will not even be in the

when it was supposedly built to win the championship," said the seven-time

.

Not even the individual feats of LeBron James, who averages 30.3 points per game at age 37, have helped the Lakers get their ticket to the playoffs.

James, who sat out last night against the Suns with a sore ankle, had never recorded a regular season with as many losses (48).

It will be the fourth time that the Ohioan has not played in the

since he arrived in the league 19 seasons ago (2003, 2004, 2019 and 2022).

Built like a Frankenstein project in the offices, the Lakers have been a team that never was.

The direction of Frank Vogel has not borne fruit and, far from correcting the imbalances throughout the season, the alarms have been postponed until the results have been aligned with the reality of the franchise.

Winners of 17 rings, tied with the Boston Celtics in the Olympus of the NBA, the Lakers' 2021/22 season will remain a stain that is difficult to erase.

A failure very far from what its history demands;

even, of what its history can allow.

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