Alright so I finally got around to digging deep into why that 2016-17 Lakers season felt like watching a slow-motion car crash. Buckle up, this one’s messy.
Starting Point: What Even Happened That Year?
Honestly? Everything looked shaky from day one. I sat down with a massive pot of coffee and a pile of old game footage, stats sheets, and news archives. First step was tracking how the season unfolded week by week.
The Training Camp Vibe
Remember how hopeful everyone sounded back in October 2016? Luke Walton’s first year as head coach, fresh off that crazy Warriors run. Young core – D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram – all hyped up. Management was pushing this “new era” hard after Kobe retired. Felt shiny… but man, that shine rubbed off fast.
- Opened with four straight losses. Ouch.
- Randle yelling at Walton during a timeout by November. Early red flag.
- Injuries piled up like dirty laundry – Nick Young’s calf, Jose Calderon’s hamstring, Larry Nance Jr.’s knee… you name it.
Midseason Meltdown Mode
By January, the wheels were fully off. I pulled up play-by-play breakdowns. Clear patterns jumped out:
- Fourth Quarter Ghosts: Over 15 games blown in the final minutes. Team looked lost when pressure hit. No go-to scorer after Lou Williams got traded.
- Defense? What Defense? Watched opponents drive to the rim like it was an open highway. Rebounding was a joke – opponents grabbing 12+ offensive boards routinely.
- The Randle-Russell Tension: Body language said it all. Missed passes, no eye contact, zero trust in clutch moments.
Front Office Chaos
Couldn’t ignore the off-court noise either. Magic Johnson taking over basketball ops in February? Timofey Mozgov making insane money to ride the bench? Jim Buss firing himself? Pure circus energy. Hard to play ball when your bosses are changing mid-game.
The Aftermath Reality Check
Finished at 26-56. Third worst in the West. So what went wrong? After weeks dissecting it, here’s the ugly truth:
- Raw Roster Construction: Mozgov and Luol Deng signings were anchors. Zero spacing.
- Leadership Vacuum: No veteran voice. Kids arguing with coaches? Disaster recipe.
- Inconsistency Monster: One night beating contenders like Golden State, next night losing to Phoenix bench players. Infuriating to watch.
Bottom line? Perfect storm of bad contracts + fragile youth + front-office panic. Felt like rebuilding a plane mid-flight while everyone argued over the blueprint. Glad that mess is behind them. Still gives me a headache just remembering it.
