Lakers GM hopes team fights adversity like Patriots; likens LeBron to Brady
Although the Los Angeles Lakers have endured a roller-coaster season thus far, dropping from fourth to 10th following LeBron James' 17-game absence, general manager Rob Pelinka remains optimistic and is reminded of the New England Patriots.
"I think early on they were facing a ton of adversity," Pelinka said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "There were lots of stories being told about fractured relationships, but what did they do? They kind of came together.
"My hope is our story is a little bit, maybe, like that where we're on the outside but we find a way to get in the playoffs with the skill sets we've added. And then much like (Tom) Brady did, we let one of the all-time greats - LeBron - take the helm for this team and make some noise."
The Lakers will have to recover in the latter half of the campaign without a second superstar after striking out in their reported attempt to land New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis. They instead settled for two minor moves - acquiring Reggie Bullock from the Detroit Pistons and Mike Muscala from the L.A. Clippers - to give the rotation additional perimeter shooting.
"I almost look at Bullock and Muscala, my hope is, much like Edelman was," Pelinka said of the team's deadline acquisitions. "It's just one player, but that can have such a big impact on overall chemistry, and I hope those two guys can come in and have that impact."
Bullock was Detroit's only reliable outside shooter, averaging 12.1 points while shooting 38.8 percent from 3-point land. The 27-year-old ranked second in the Association last season in 3-point percentage (44.5).
Muscala immediately becomes the Lakers' most dependable perimeter big man, standing at 6-foot-11 and shooting 34.2 percent from behind the arc.