Are Lonnie and the lagging Lakers better off without LeBron?

By Tony Zonca — MikeDragoSports.com senior contributor

Reading High basketball legend Lonnie Walker likely felt he was making an upgrade when he signed last offseason with the Los Angeles Lakers.

After all, the Lakers are one of the NBA’s storied franchises, the home of Wilt and Shaq and Kobe.

Walker won’t admit it publicly, but he was frustrated with his role with the San Antonio Spurs, who took him with the 18th pick in the 2018 draft after his one season at Miami U.

Now all Walker had to accomplish was blending in with future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook along with introducing himself to a new coach, Darvin Ham, himself in the first year with the Lakers.

Walker couldn’t have foreseen a 3-10 start.  The biggest problem?  It’s a cliche, but the Lakers couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean if they were standing on the beach.  It was hard to watch.  Air balls, bricks, you name it, the Lakers were pitiful.

Turnovers also mounted, many of them by the iconic James, at 38 showing signs of talent slippage.  With James on the floor and dominating each possession, his teammates are often reduced to spectators.  And it didn’t help that King James was shooting an awful 24 percent from beyond the arc.

Said the unabashed Steve A. Smith:  “LeBron’s got to go.  The purple and gold are so bad that if you passed gas they would think it’s perfume.”

He actually said that.  On national TV.

Sunday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant, LeBron missed a second straight game with an injured foot.

The Lakers ended a five-game losing streak behind Davis’s monster game.  They also got 25 points from Walker, who had missed the previous two games with an undisclosed illness.

Prior to the game Lonnie was quoted as saying:  “There’s no worse feeling than losing, especially when you put a lot of work and effort into the game.  We just got to continue and stay the right course and understand it’s a long season.  We have to just keep fighting, keep going.”

Walker scored 11 of the Lakers’ first 20 points in the 116-103 home victory.  The Nets closed to within 91-87 with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter.  The Lakers, who have been a poor second-half team, went on a 15-2 run to pull away, seven of the points by Walker.

Walker shot 9-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-5 on 3-pointers.  He is averaging 16.5 points overall while shooting a respectable 47.2 percent from the floor, 35.7 from beyond the arc, best among the starters.  This after a slow start.

In the Lakers’ previous victory, over the New Orleans Pelicans, Walker scored 28.  He went 5-for-9 from 3-point land.

You also can count on his putting his abundant athleticism and leaping ability on display for at least one breathtaking slam each game.

Most Lakers watchers agree the Lakers as now designed don’t have a shot at the playoffs.  They are calling for the front office to move James, who would have to agree to the move that might allow him to play a lesser role while seeking another championship ring.

Is the King dead?  Well, as Steven A. said, if he’s not dead, right now he’s stinking up the joint.