Analyzing the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers: A Disappointing Season in Review
June 10th, 2022
By Alan Lu
After the 2021 Lakers had gotten eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round last season, they seemed poised to make a big move in the offseason. For whom, it wasn’t clear initially. But they surprised everybody by shaking up their roster by trading three solid veterans in Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell, two of whom were on their 2020 championship team by packaging them in a trade to get superstar point guard, Russell Westbrook in one fell swoop.
But the price to get Westbrook was very high, considering that he would make $44 million this year, and has a player option that would make him even more money next year. The trade to get Westbrook was at best, a curious and bold move with upside potential, and at worst, an insanely, outrageously risky maneuver that could put the Lakers in a much deeper hole far beyond they ever imagined.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, their team did not mesh well at all, and they ended up missing the playoffs. They didn’t shoot the ball very well, and they also struggled defensively. They looked discombobulated when they would try to make defensive rotations, and they struggled to space the floor or stay healthy. The Lakers wound up going 33-49 this year, and they turned in a very disappointing season in which they missed the playoffs, and they weren’t even able to make it to the play-in tournament. As a result, they fired head coach Frank Vogel at the end of the season.
Key Players:
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(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images, via SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll)
LeBron James
2021-22 (LAL): 30.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 52 FG%, 36 3PT%, 76 FT%, 62 TS%, 26.2 PER, 7.5 WS
LeBron James had a solid all-around season this year, and he’s proven to still be one of the best players in the game today, but he only played 56 games due to injury.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 4 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony Davis
2021-22 (LAC): 23.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.3 BPG, 1.2 SPG, 53 FG%, 19 3PT%, 71 FT%, 58 TS%, 23.9 PER, 4.5 WS
Ever since winning the NBA title in 2020 in the Orlando bubble, Anthony Davis hasn’t been nearly the same superstar player that he was then. He really struggled to knock down outside shots, and while he’s excelled as a scorer and has thrived on both ends of the floor, he’s been very injury prone in the past two seasons.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 3.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the Los Angeles Lakers
Russell Westbrook
2021-22 (LAL): 18.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 44 FG%, 30 3PT%, 67 FT%, 51 TS%, 15.0 PER, 1.7 WS
The Lakers made a big gamble in trading for Russell Westbrook during the 2021 draft. Westbrook was a very athletic, highly productive playmaking guard that can consistently get triple-doubles, but one of his weaknesses is his lack of an outside shot, and the Lakers had been struggling more to knock threes lately. They acquired him while he was still on a hefty deal, and they gave up several notable veterans on cheaper contracts to get him.
However, Westbrook didn’t play very well for the Lakers this year, as he struggled to shoot or mesh with their team, and they ended up missing the playoffs. He also didn’t defend nearly as well as he used to, and his tendency to miss shots and take bad gambles on defense only seemed to add frustration to the Lakers’ fan base. The Lakers will likely be stuck with him next year, so they will most likely have to figure out a way to make it to the playoffs with him while he is on their team.
2022 Season Grade: D-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the Los Angeles Lakers
Side Note: Westbrook has a player option that allows him to opt in to possibly re-join the Lakers for next season, and if he takes his player option, he would be set to make $47 million next year.
Other Notable Players:
He excelled as a sharpshooter and scorer for his team, and he also was able to show some playmaking skills when he was on the floor. On the other hand, he will still need to improve his defense, but he had a good season this year.
2022 Season Grade: B
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Los Angeles Lakers
Side Note: Monk will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
He is an agile, skilled combo guard that played far more than anyone imagined he would on the Lakers this year, and Reaves overachieved this season. He excelled as a scorer, facilitator, and rebounder. While he will still need to improve his three-point shot, Reaves did most of the other things well, and was one of the better rookies in the NBA this year.
2022 Season Grade: A
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Los Angeles Lakers
While he is an athletic, physical swingman that can provide scoring, some defense, and physicality off the bench, Horton-Tucker didn’t shoot the ball very well this year, and he also didn’t defend quite as well as he had the year before.
2022 Season Grade: D-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Los Angeles Lakers
He is a skilled, savvy combo forward that excelled as a shooter and scorer for his team on offense, and he also provided some rebounding to help his team this year.
2022 Season Grade: B
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Anthony will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
The athletic, scoring combo guard got injured prior to the start of the season, and he missed the entire year due to injury.
2022 Season Grade: N/A
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Los Angeles Lakers
Side Note: Nunn has a player option that allows him to opt in to possibly re-join the Lakers for next season.
Howard generally thrived as an interior player for the Lakers this year. His rebounding numbers were slightly down, but he showed an improved outside shot to help his team on offense.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Howard will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
He shot the ball very well off the bench, but his passing numbers were down, and he really struggled with his defense this ear.
2022 Season Grade: C+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Augustin will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Other Players on the Roster:
Mason Jones (Two-Way Player)
The strong, mobile swingman barely played in the NBA this past year, even though he was fairly productive last year as a rookie. He played really well in the G-League, as he’s worked harder to improve in the finer points of the game, and he’s shown that he can be an effective scorer in the association.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe roster player on an NBA team
Mac McClung (Two-Way Player)
He is an athletic, energetic combo guard that didn’t play much in the NBA, but he played very well in the G-League, and he’s a scorer that showed much improved playmaking skills in the G-League this year.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe roster player on an NBA team
He was able to get considerable playing time with the Lakers this year, and he showed an improved ability to score the basketball, and he also defended fairly well. He still needs to work on his three-point shot, but he’s a strong, physical forward that provides some versatility off the bench.
2022 Season Grade: C+
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Los Angeles Lakers
Side Note: Johnson has a team option that the Lakers can pick up for next season.
He is an athletic combo forward that was able to get sparse playing time across numerous teams in this league this year. He showed improved scoring skills, but he struggled to shoot the basketball from the outside, and he didn’t defend quite as well this season.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Gabriel has a non-guranteed team option for next season that the Lakers can pick up for next season.
He is a sharpshooting guard that excelled as a shooter off the bench, but he didn’t pass the ball quite as well, nor defend well for the Lakers this year.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Ellington will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
He is an athletic combo guard that serves as a defensive specialist in the NBA. He excelled as a shooter and scorer, and he played significantly better compared to last season.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Bradley will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
He did a decent job of making threes and defending for his team, but he really struggled to make shots overall, and he didn’t really have a huge impact with the Lakers as he also didn’t play much this year.
2022 Season Grade: D
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Bazemore will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
New Head Coach:
2021-22 (MIL): N/A
He is a former NBA player, and was a trusted assistant of the Milwaukee Bucks, and he was on the coaching staff of the 2021 Bucks’ team that won an NBA title that year. He will be tasked to be the head coach of the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers, which may be a tall order, but he will certainly be up to the task, and he’s a players’ coach that have won over the trust of his players.
2022 Season Grade: B
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (3.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
Former Head Coach:
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(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)
Frank Vogel
2021-22 (LAL): 33-49, 11th in the Western Conference
He was dealt a pretty bad, unfavorable hand when the Lakers elected to trade for Russell Westbrook to get him in a blockbuster trade that they made with the Washington Wizards, and the Lakers gave up a handful of solid veterans that bolstered the depth of their team. Executive Rob Pelinka and ownership handcuffed Vogel in a way that they didn’t anticipate, and things made it very difficult for them to navigate throughout the season. The Lakers got a talented player that didn’t fit them very well, as Westbrook’s playmaking and skill set duplicated a bit with LeBron’s skill set, and the Lakers were suddenly devoid of outside shooters that they used to have. They did manage to sign some shooters in the offseason, but it wasn’t nearly enough to negate the ill-fitting roster that they had this year.
On the other hand, the Lakers still had a talented team, and while they weren’t going to win as many games as people expected, they were still expected to make the playoffs, and they didn’t do that. When LeBron James is on the team, people expect his team to make the playoffs, and to be competitive when they get there. The 2022 Lakers didn’t get to the playoffs with LeBron, and much the blame became directed at Vogel and Westbrook. Because they didn’t get to the playoffs with LeBron, and because the Lakers were largely disappointing this year, Frank Vogel got fired from his post as a head coach at the end of the season.
2022 Season Grade: D
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Assistant coach somewhere in the NBA, or TV analyst
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Projected 2022-23 Rotation:
C Anthony Davis
F LeBron James
F Stanley Johnson
G Malik Monk
G Russell Westbrook
______________________
G Kendrick Nunn
G Austin Reaves
F Talen Horton-Tucker
F Mason Jones
C Wenyen Gabriel
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Picks in the 2022 NBA Draft:
None
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Projected 2023 Win-Loss Record:
36-46, 10th in the Western Conference
Their Projected Offseason Plan:
Where do the Lakers go from here? Well, they have really put themselves in a hole that they dug themselves in, and it’ll be hard for them to climb out of it. Their trade to get Russell Westbrook really put them in a bind, especially since he will probably opt into his player option in which he would get paid $47 million for next season, but neither Westbrook nor Anthony Davis fit well together, since neither of them shoot well from the outside. On top of that, the Lakers have no draft picks, so they can’t add any talented players from the draft unless they trade in, or until it’s over so that they can sign undrafted rookies.
They did make a good hire by hiring former NBA player and Milwaukee Bucks’ assistant Darvin Ham to be their head coach for next season. He is a respected coach that the players like, and he’s come from a good culture that the Milwaukee Bucks instilled, so he will bring fresh ideas that will be welcome to the Lakers. The Lakers will need to find a way to get their team to fit better, and if they keep Westbrook and Anthony Davis, they will need to be very creative with how they construct their roster for next season. They will certainly need to retool their roster and add more shooters and defenders in the meantime, but it won’t be easy since they will be capped out, and they have a lot of players that will soon hit free agency.
Still, there will be a lot of questions to ask, and at the forefront will be, can the Lakers move or trade Westbrook’s giant contract, and if not, can they get him, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis to play and mesh well together? They’ll need to find a way to get their team to shoot and defend much better in order to optimally improve their situation. One creative solution would be to separate Westbrook and Davis, and then play four shooters when one of them is on the floor to minimize the lack of floor spacing, but that might mean having to stagger their minutes much more, and to not play them on the floor as much at the same time, which would be a difficult idea for Lakers’ fans to stomach or swallow.
The Lakers could be destined for another disappointing season next year, but as long as they have a healthy LeBron James on their team, they could compete for the playoffs next season. The team analysis of the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers was done before the 2022 NBA Draft and the start of free agency. I went to No Trade Clause and Basketball-Reference for research purposes. Thanks for reading.
