Missed the 188 million super-max salary for three years, and didn t touch the ball for two months! The Lakers calculated against all odds but miscalculated

There is still one week left for the new NBA preseason to end, and then the regular season will begin. During the preseason, many teams showed strong dominance, such as the Knicks and Magic in the Eastern Conference, who never lost. Including the Rockets, Durant's small test of his skills has improved the Rockets' offense by two levels. In the new season, Amen and Shen Jing jointly shoulder the responsibility of supporting the team. Van Jordan's serious injury and absence actually did not have that big an impact on the Rockets. Judging from the predictions for the new season given by major American media, the Thunder are the only favorite team to win the championship. In the Western Conference, there are many teams in the second tier, such as the Rockets, Nuggets, Clippers, Timberwolves, and Lakers. However, there is a huge gap between teams, and some teams do not live up to their names.

After the Lakers played three games in the preseason, they defeated the Suns by 22 points and had one win and one loss with the Warriors. To be honest, from the game process to the result, the reference value is almost zero. Three reasons. First, the Suns and Warriors obviously kept their trump cards and did not take the Lakers seriously. Especially in the second game between the Warriors and the Lakers, Curry and Butler did not play, which is equivalent to giving the Lakers a free game. Secondly, both Doncic and James are unable to play. Doncic is too tired from playing in the European Cup this summer, and the coaching staff hopes that he can rest more. In the end, it is still because of Lao James. In Redick's own words, he may consider preparing two lineups in the new season, one for when James is here and one for when James is absent. The core is not there, and the role players are working on offense and defense, which will not be of much help in the new season.

What level of injury did James suffer? The original report from Charania was that James suffered sciatica on the right side and was expected to be re-examined in 3-4 weeks. Then Charania seemed to "have no silver here" and added: James has been working hard to increase the intensity of training and return to the court, but he just hasn't recovered enough. In fact, everyone from the Los Angeles media to Charania emphasized that James' sciatic nerve problem first appeared in a training in late July. It has been two and a half months, and he has not touched the ball for two months. The team reporter Buha said that there is no good solution for this kind of injury, we can only wait, and re-evaluation does not mean a comeback. The Lakers plan is for him to return against the Spurs on November 6.

It’s just a plan! The most important decision for the Lakers this summer is not to renew Doncic's contract, but that James quietly executed a player option worth $52.6 million for one year. According to salary expert Bobby Marks, if James can stay with the Lakers next summer, the Lakers can give him a super maximum salary of US$188 million in three years at most, with a starting salary of US$58.1 million! But obviously, the outside world generally believes that this probability is almost 0, because the Lakers have not proposed any intention to renew the contract on the basis of respecting James' choice (implementing player options) throughout the offseason! Going back to James' injury, generally speaking, sciatica is usually supplemented by medication + physical therapy + rehabilitation training. It can usually be relieved within 4-6 weeks. In severe cases, it may take 3 months or even longer.

Is it serious about Lao Zhan specifically? No one dares to draw a conclusion. But it is obvious that there is a pessimistic atmosphere throughout the team. Lakers reporters personally confirmed that Redick rarely showed frustration when discussing James' injury. He confirmed that James did not participate in any joint training and had his own recovery timetable. Including Doncic, although he denied that James' absence would have a great impact on the team, he also emphasized that James is indispensable to the team. If James' injury is really not that serious, there is only one interpretation. He will soon be 41 years old. At this age in his career, he will take care of his injuries and cherish his body. Even if Lao Zhan can come back on November 6, before that, the Lakers have to play the Warriors + Timberwolves + Kings + Trail Blazers + Timberwolves. How many games can they win?

The operations of the Lakers management during the offseason seem indeed satisfactory. In addition to James executing the player option, the team signed Ayton + Laravia + Smart with the help of Doncic. They have a leader, a pitcher to open up the space, and a real center, including a three-year 165 million contract extension for Doncic. All operations indicate that the Lakers have left the transitional zone and are fully committed to building the team around Doncic. It's just that next summer, James' contract expires, which will free up salary space and find help for Doncic. This is an opportunity. In fact, James came to the Lakers in the first seven seasons, including leading the team to win the bubble championship, including last season when the big eyebrow fell and Doncic was not here, leading the team to the top four in the Western Conference. He was the backbone.

Let's not forget James' stable data support of 25 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists per game. How will the Lakers find replacements for the new season? At the same time, this is also an attitude of James: I really don’t need to try my best for the Lakers anymore. If you don’t want me anymore, why should I work hard? Essentially, it's the same as players who are forced to sign a qualifying offer after their rookie contract expires. Everyone just tries not to break up and maintain a superficial peace for a few months. It is foreseeable that James may not really want to retire, but in the new season with the Lakers, he may know how to protect himself better. The Lakers calculated everything, and the way they treated James, and the result they got, was indeed a miscalculation.