Report: Lakers Grew ‘Frustrated’ With Starter During Season

The Los Angeles Lakers missed the chance to win back-to-back titles. LA fans have accused some of the players for the failure, but players would gladly accuse on Lakers starter.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka packed the roster with talent. LA looked like a team that could win the championship. They were the top seed in the West. Things changed when Anthony Davis sustained an injury. LeBron James sustained an injury, too. LA slipped to No.7 in the West and they had to take part in the play-in tournament.

Players made the first round but they were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in six games.

NBA experts would blame the early exit in the playoffs on the injuries. That’s not the only problem LA has. Pelinka brought a few players but they failed to meet expectations. When the team traded for Dennis Schroder, Frank Vogel put him in the starting lineup. The German native had some great moments, but his stats weren’t that great.

“The Lakers acceded to his request to start, and continued negotiating with his representatives on a rich contract extension,” Shelburne wrote. “But his play on the court frustrated some in the organization, according to sources. By the trade deadline, L.A. was including him in trade discussions for Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry.”

The Lakers starter may not return to LA in 2022

One thing stands for sure. Schroder would love to return to LA again.

“I wanna be here and win a championship,” Schroder recently said after the Game 6 loss to the Phoenix Suns. “That’s not even a question. And it wasn’t about money, because everyone who knows me knows it’s not about money, either. Of course, we want to be fair. … End of the day, if everything is good, we gonna come back and win a championship next year.”

If you ask Magic Johnson, he would say that LA should get rid of Schroder. The Hall of Famer has an advice for Pelinka and he would love to see Schroder go. Let’s see what happens next in the franchise.