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“Lakers Win Again—Off Season”

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A championship basketball season is about to be superseded by what just happened in the last 72-hours.

The Lakers won the NBA playoffs, and now they have won the off season.

The LeBron James-Anthony Davis tandem sledgehammered their way thru the Pandemic and then the Orlando bubble to earn their ring.

And now next season looks even brighter than the just completed ‘Win-the-Ring’ campaign because of GM-Rob Pelinka.

Seldom do you see a championship team remove as many people as the Lakers have from the playoff roster.

They subtracted C-JaVale McGee, traded off  to Cleveland to clear cap space.

They let oft-injured C-DeMarcus Cousins go to Houston as a free agent.

Starting G-Danny Green was traded to Oklahoma City and then moved onto the 76ers.

The drama that always seemed to surround C-Dwight Howard is over, he too has gone to the 76ers.

Guard Rajon Rondo has exited, getting a better pay day by going to Atlanta.

Veteran G-Avery Bradley, a strong contributor, is on his way to the Miami Heat.

And young G-Quinn Cook was let go in a cap move

Seven  players removed from a championship roster.

Look at the haul coming in to replace them.

Point G-Dennis Shroeder came from Oklahoma City after averaging (18P) and bringing a nasty streak of defense with him.

Veteran C-Marc Gasol, big smart, still productive, comes in with a strong veteran resume (8P-6R) and bigger leadership skills, as shown in Toronto and Memphis in a long quality career..

The steal of the weekend is the signing of the NBA’s top 6th man award winner, C-Montrzl Harrell, who strung together impressive years as a self-made man with the LA Clippers.  That’s (18P-7R) per night from him off the bench and the knowledge you added something really good, and subtracted something really good from the other team.

Milwaukee’s feisty defensive wing F-Wes Matthews brings attitude, grit, and an (8P) average.

The Lakers also convinced off-the-bench power F-Markieff Morris to stay with them, on a short-term extension after his (9P-4R) season coming off the bench.

They also added young F-Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie to compete for end of the roster slots on a very good team.

What Pelinka added was firepower, youth, and the intangible things like basketball intelligence and leadership skills.

Last season was good.  Next season could be spectacular.

Weeks after they won the NBA ring, the last 72-hours made the champions even better, something the crosstown Clippers , those in the Pacific Division, and the rest of the NBA will find hard to believe..

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