Chris Carlin Says Lakers Are Likely Going To Miss The Play-In Tournament

NBA analyst Chris Carlin spoke on First Take this season about what he believes the Los Angeles Lakers ' trajectory this season. He noted that he doesn't think the Lakers will even reach the play-in tournament this season, as they haven't changed their roster much. Furthermore, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are unlikely to play as much as they did last year.

“I think we’re not overblowing it because I think the Lakers at this point are a whole lot more likely to miss the play-in [tournament] than they are to make the playoffs. And here’s why. When I look at this group, I’m looking at a team that did not get any better than it was already this past year…"

"We have a rookie head coach who everybody believes is in LeBron’s pocket as it is. I think that’s a little bit problematic. Am I really expecting LeBron and Anthony Davis to play as many games as they did this past year? Think about that. LeBron played 71. Last five years on average before that? 55."

"I know a couple of those years were shorter. AD, 76 games this year. Is that happening again? Last five years before that, an average of 50 [games]. Let me ask you another question. Has LeBron actually proven to be a great GM in his career? I don’t really think so."

"And he is the GM of the team, or at least he pushes to be the GM of the team. So they may have a couple of draft picks to trade. You know, those big eyes emoji is coming right around the trade deadline, what are we doing? Lakers may miss the play-in.”

Carlin makes some strong points about the Lakers' weaknesses, especially when it comes to the Lakers' lack of roster additions in the offseason. The Lakers missed out on several big-name free agents such as Klay Thompson and Buddy Hield. They are most likely to enter the season with a very similar roster to last year's.

Who Is Under The Most Pressure For The Lakers?

There have been a lot of debates over who is under the most pressure heading into the next season for the Lakers. Joy Taylor believes that JJ Redick will be under the most pressure , as he is the most expendable piece in the franchise should things go wrong, and pointed to the Lakers' track record with firing coaches who were successful.

“JJ Redick [is under the most pressure]. It’s not Jeanie Buss, she owns the team, so she’s not going anywhere… LeBron is not going anywhere, he just signed a new contract. Bronny James just got drafted. Pressure to me is, if you don’t perform, are you going to be here or not? And to me, the only answer is JJ Redick."

"JJ is new, JJ is inexperienced, there are already questions about why or who got him hired… which really doesn’t matter at all if you have some success. They just fired Darvin Ham, who went to the Western Conference Finals, and then went back to the playoffs. And before that, they fired Frank Vogel, who won a championship."

"So, I don’t know what the standard is, or what the expectations are for JJ Redick this year. But I know they aren’t bad. I know they aren’t this team doesn’t look dysfunctional. I know this team is out of the playoffs, and there’s no chance that they’re going to make that miraculous turnaround that they did when they made it to the Western Conference Finals."

"There’s going to be a lot of attention and questions on him. How he handles the media, this is Los Angeles. It’s not New York City, but the coverage of the Lakers is tight. People care about what happens with the Lakers. The relationship with the media, how you’re talked about..."

"There’s a lot of dynamics here of coaching the Los Angeles Lakers that is not just coaching a basketball team. It’s not just coaching a basketball team with stars. To me, JJ Redick is under the most pressure. If everything goes sideways, which I don’t think it will, but if it does, who is going to be the person most at risk for not making it through the season? That’s JJ Redick.”

But there are others who believe that the pressure is on other people within the franchise. Ric Bucher spoke recently about why believes Bronny James is facing more pressure than any other player entering into the NBA in history.

There is a lot riding on the Lakers next season. They will have an uphill battle. But they still have a great roster, with two of the best players in the league in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They will need to step up big-time for the Lakers next year.