After two losses to teams that are not even projected to be playoff teams, the outlook is bleak in Lakerland.
A missed game winner against the Minnesota Timberwolves was somehow explained off with Flip Saunders' departure, and considering the improvement of the T-Wolves roster (now experienced Andrew Wiggins, the beast that is Karl Anthony-Towns), going down the wire with them wasn't all that bad.
Rookie Karl Anthony-Towns told the press through NBA.com: "I don't know what it was on the court but we just seemed to have Coach Saunders on our side. Especially when Lou Williams shooting a floater for the game, nine times out of ten he hits that and I think the one time, we had a sixth man on the floor."
An embarrassing loss to the Sacramento Kings which saw them giving up 74 points in the first half seems to have sealed the deal for Lakers fans. Lake Show Life already highlighted how the Tinseltown team's fans overreact, and how they have discussed tanking again and firing Byron Scott in other columns.
It was suggested that Scott make some adjustments-or else, face the wrath of the NBA's biggest and most impatient fanbase this side of the Knicks.
Old school post-ups and isolation are already passé concepts, and the fact that the Lakers don't have the weapons for it doesn't help. Scott should incorporate more motion offense. Also, the Ryan Kelly-Brandon Bass tandem does not belong in a competitive NBA team. It has been a puzzler for LSL why Scott has stuck to this combo extensively, especially with Tarik Black around.
Fans are asking for his head on a silver platter, and even discussed possible replacements.
With the frustration getting heavy and winning seems unreachable, pessimistic fans think the only way to give purpose to losing is to make losing the purpose-in other words, tanking.
The Lakers need to finish in the top three (the window has gotten smaller) or lose their pick to Philadelphia (the Suns traded that pick).
LSL warned against this: "Yes, the Lakers awful, but no they should not tank. The problem is the draft lottery. Even if the Lakers have the worst record in the entire NBA they would still have a 35 percent chance of falling out of the top three in the draft thanks to the draft lottery."