Another game, another embarrassing loss at the hands of a Western Conference elite. The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost eight of their first nine games of the season, making it the worst start in franchise history.
With the purple-and-gold nation dealing perhaps the worst stretch in franchise history, the obvious question is will the losing trend continue for the remainder of Kobe Bryant's career? Lakers head coach Byron Scott, a true purple-and-gold warrior, thinks winning time won't wait too long.
"I told them that I have no doubt that we will win a championship in my tenure here as head coach," Scott said in an interview with ESPN.com this week, "because I know this organization. But I do know it's going to take some patience. It's a process."
Bryant, who already contributed five of the 16 Lakers championship rings, believed the organization's reputation as a winning franchise proves this painful stretch will soon come to a sweet ending.
"Faith," Bryant said in response to Scott's championship prediction. "The Lakers' track record. This organization is really good about turning around, period. We don't have many dry years."
Do the Lakers really have a chance to become a major championship contender again after three consecutive years of futility? History proves they can, but unlike the previous years, it's going to be a much a harder process this time around.
After striking out on elite free-agents last summer, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak constructed a team he thought would be competitive without compromising their financial flexibility moving forward.
There's no denying the Lakers have been competitive at times, losing in single digit against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies. However, the Western Conference is just a different animal this year that even perennial cellar-dweller Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz are piling up significant victories this early in the season. It's not that the Lakers are consists of a bunch of scrubs. They are just playing in a very tough conference, that's all.
If the Lakers could not avoid losing big this year, then they have to make sure they have the money to spend big in next summer's free-agency. And as of now, the franchise seems going to that direction as they look to cut down their payroll to $36M, which is less 50 percent of the league's minimum.
Having that amount of purchasing power, the Lakers are capable in signing at least two max players. And even if Kevin Love is already off the market, there's no shortage of big men available, starting from Marc Gasol to LaMarcus Aldridge to Greg Monroe. The backcourt is very deep as well, with Aaron Afflalo, Jimmy Butler, Reggie Jackson and Goran Dragic also hitting the market.
Signing at least two of the names mentioned above is definitely a nice start. Moreover, the Lakers could end up with two first-round picks in June: one is from the Rockets in the Jeremy Lin trade, and the other is a protected top-5 first-rounder they sent to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Steve Nash in 2012. Jahill Okafor and Emanuel Mudiay are the main cogs, but this draft is nevertheless deep.
Add that to a returning Julius Randle and Kobe Bryant in top form, and the Lakers will surely have a team to be reckoned with next year.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
