Stephen Jackson is baffled by Lakers' blame distribution: "For some reason, when it's dealing with LeBron, he gets no blame"
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Many believe Darvin Ham was to blame for the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round exit in the 2024 playoffs, which eventually led to his firing. However, Stephen Jackson dismissed this notion, pointing out the hypocrisy when it comes to the Purple and Gold.
Speaking on the latest episode of “All The Smoke” podcast, “Stack Jack” highlighted how LeBron James and Anthony Davis are never held accountable for the team’s failures, while the bulk of the blame is often placed on others.
“History tells us your star players got to deal with the bulk of the blame. They have to take that heat,” Jackson said. “When San Antonio weren’t winning, they were blaming Tim and Ginobili – they getting older. Then they came back and won one. You know what I’m saying? Your star players normally get the bulk of the heat, but for some reason, when it’s dealing with LeBron and the Lakers, he gets no blame.”
“You can’t take AD out of it. Even though you played well, in crunch minutes, you was not there… You can’t blame the young guys on the team…. Don’t blame it on the coach,” Stephen added.
All the credit, but no blame
When the Lakers achieved success this season, such as winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament, the contributions of LeBron and Davis, who averaged 26.4 and 23.3 points, respectively, were widely celebrated. However, the supporting roles played by D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, who chipped in with 16.0 and 17.4 points of their own, went largely unnoticed.
That said, both the Lakers marquee stars averaged 27.8 points in their first-round series against the defending champions. However, they were no match for the Nuggets’ stars in the clutch moments of games, and yet, no one seems to talk about that.
The Purple and Gold dealt with injuries to Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish, and Christian Wood, which is why it’s unfair to solely blame coach Ham for their first-round exit. AD and James receive all the credit for the team’s success, so they should also be at the forefront when failure is involved.
No long-term plans
That said, it’s also fair to say that the Lakers’ supporting cast didn’t ease the scoring burden from Davis and LeBron against Denver. While GM Rob Pelinka has made numerous changes in the past few offseasons, constantly altering the roster and opting for short-term solutions to maximize whatever is left of LeBron’s superstar years, the team obviously wasn’t good enough to go all the way.
The best teams in today’s NBA built their rosters organically. However, L.A. isn’t in a position to do the same, at least not until James is there. That’s why they have to make some moves this summer and hope that the 39-year-old continues displaying an unprecedented level of play in the next campaign.