Don’t take Steph’s Unselfishness for Granted
On April 5, the Los Angeles Lakers were officially eliminated from the playoffs with a 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns and a San Antonio Spurs win.
The Lakers' struggles were well documented throughout the season as the finger-pointing started early. First, it was guard Russell Westbrook. Then, it was Head Coach Frank Vogel, and eventually, it fell to forward Anthony Davis.
But the origins of the Lakers' struggle fall with the roster construction. The Lakers front office was vocal about going for Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield to spread the floor in the offseason. But LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul voiced their opinions and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka signed Westbrook instead.
To say that the fit with Westbrook was not ideal is an understatement. With James and Davis already occupying most of the paint and Westbrook's aggressive playstyle –– one questioned why the Lakers would even consider signing Westbrook.
But this isn't anything new.
While James claims he has no power over the Lakers front office, fans know otherwise. When James spent his first year in Los Angeles with a young core that didn't work out –– James voiced his frustrations with the Lakers front office. The front office responded by trading its young core for Davis. Sure, the result was worth it, as the Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship. But James continued to sway front office decisions –– which eventually led to this predicament.
On the flip side, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has an opposite approach to roster construction.
One of the many aspects of Curry's game is his unselfishness. Because of his lethal 3-point shooting ability, Curry's gravity opens opportunities for others to shine. Additionally –– his unselfish nature has attracted many veterans and stars that turned out to be critical pieces during the Warriors' championship run –– including Kevin Durant.
Players want to play with Curry because they believe with his unique skill set and the way he approaches the game –– Curry can propel them to succeed. So when the Warriors forward Nemanja Bjelica got a call from his agent about an offer from the Warriors, Bjelica told his agent to stop talking to other teams and signed with the Warriors.
Curry's unselfish nature has carried over off-the-court. As the face of the franchise, Curry could easily do what James has done and call the shots to force his way, but he doesn't.
A prime example is the 2020 draft. With talents such as forward Anthony Edwards, guard LaMelo Ball and center James Wiseman, the Warriors were at a critical juncture since they had missed the playoffs and held the No. 2 overall pick.
Curry could've easily swayed his opinion for a pick that he felt would benefit the Warriors.
Rumors of the Warriors possibly selecting Ball instead of Wiseman would prove difficult if true. With LaMelo being a ball-dominate point guard and his flamboyant father LaVar, he could've caused more friction than success. Some argued that Curry and Ball could work well in the backcourt, but ultimately, the Warriors went with Wiseman.
Curry could advocate a trade for any player to benefit the Warriors if he wanted to. But he doesn't.
Curry allows the front office to do what they do best and build the trust that is so critical for any team's success.
In the end, don't take Curry's unselfish nature for granted. We've all seen the memes of LeGM, and now the Lakers are facing the consequences of having LeBron voice his strong opinions.
(Photo credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)