The 2022 NBA All-Star Game is this weekend, meaning nearly all of the league’s players get a break lasting around a week before getting ready for the final quarter of the season. The Los Angeles Lakers will have 24 games remaining after the break, and it’s a gross understatement to say that they’ve fallen short of their preseason expectations.
It was championship-or-bust for the Lakers this season after their blockbuster deal to acquire Russell Westbrook, and with a current 27-31 record and no changes to the team at the trade deadline, “bust” is looking like the most likely outcome.