The Lakers are the league’s punching bag and, in many ways it is well deserved. Dysfunction and public bungling of issues large and small used to be other organization’s issues, but now live at the Lakers doorstep.
Even before Magic Johnson’s sudden resignation, there was the Mike Brown firing and the too public way Mike D’Antoni was pitted against, and then chosen, over Phil Jackson. Then there was the hiring process and ultimate selection of Byron Scott to send Kobe Bryant into the sunset. Then, in the wake of Byron’s predictable firing, there was the very quick pivot to Luke Walton.