A year ago, the Los Angeles Lakers signed LeBron James and somehow still managed to have a disappointing offseason. Their free agency acquisitions were fruitless, and their draft picks failed to make an impact. The result: Quite possibly one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory, given the expectations going in.
Ah, expectations. They define so much of how we perceive quality and effectiveness. Set expectations low enough and you’ll never let anyone down. This year, given what is going to be expected of the Lakers (fair or not), a lot is riding on their ability to manage margins, something they outright failed at last summer.