When we last saw the Los Angeles Lakers, they were careening out of the playoff picture, losing eight straight games from late March through early April as a fetid topper to a rotten season.
L.A. went from the oddsmakers' NBA Finals favorite to missing the play-in tournament, as injuries and an ill-conceived roster made for a miserable year.
The fallout was swift.
Just 18 months removed from helping to deliver the franchise's first title in a decade, Frank Vogel was shown the door. The team's backend of the roster -- many of whom qualified as former stars or former Lakers, or both -- was completely overhauled.