Jamal Murray called “Game” on Monday night, sending the Los Angeles Lakers packing. This was the second time in this series that Murray decapitated the Lakers, and this time their hopes for the playoffs, with his game-winning shot. With the Lakers losing to the Nuggets in back-to-back playoff series, analysts and former players have started to give their views on what went wrong for them. According to the former Lakers center Dwight Howard, the entire situation could have been avoided if the Lakers front office had never broken up the 2020 “bubble” team.

Howard, who was on that 2020 Championship squad, took to X (formerly Twitter) to once again troll his former team, letting them know about his importance in the team,

“They should’ve never split that team up. We would’ve had 3 in a row, like my son would say, “On Skibidi!”! Ya say, talk about it on stream…What platform should I stream on?” 

Howard has a point with his hilarious take. Even if the Lakers would have not achieved the three-peat, they could have avoided a few losses, especially against the defending champions, as Howard is a touted “Jokic stopper”. While decisions like parting ways with Rajon Rondo and Danny Green were surely good, letting go of JaVale Mcgee and Dwight Howard was far from ideal. The Lakers have paid heavily for their decisions, as they often get bullied by bigger and stronger teams, the Denver Nuggets being an obvious example. 

The surprising fact about the entire situation is that if the Lakers actually made minor adjustments, possibly removing Rui Hachimura and letting AD play at the fourth position, someone like Howard could perfectly fit into the roster. While it’s known that Davis loves playing at power forward, it would have also allowed James to play his natural role. On the other hand, someone like McGee or Dwight could play as the primary rim protector and rebounder. 

James’ future with the Purple and Gold is in doubt 

It is given as of this moment that the Lakers will make some serious changes this off-season. In actuality, the cogs of the Lakers front office have already started moving, as Sham Charania of ‘The Athletic’ recently broke the news about the “possible firing” of Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. While nothing is confirmed, league sources point to Ham’s job being in “serious peril”,

Lakers star LeBron James might be joining Ham, as the 39-year-old declined to comment on his future with the Lakers. James will be entering his 22nd season in the NBA and has made it clear that his priority at this stage of his career will be playing alongside his son, Bronny James, and taking care of his health and longevity. So, where do the Lakers go from here?

They have a few options. The LA-based team can trade players like D’Lo and Austin Reaves in exchange for a possible star, a dominant rim protector, and someone who can take the pressure off Davis and Lebron. Additionally, Howard shouldn’t be a real option for the Lakers to explore this off-season. He is almost 39 years old and has had a string of serious injuries throughout his career.

While the former 3-time DPOY is great as a veteran leader, the Lakers should go shopping for top-level talent this time. A player like Jared Allen or Nic Claxton could serve the team well and, more importantly, help the Lakers retain James for the remainder of his career.