Pick a moment. Any moment. Kobe Bryant’s pained expressions as he endlessly sat on the sideline. The Lakers’ double-digit blowouts. The team’s training room that continuously became more crowded by the day. The fan disenchantment toward Mike D’Antoni, who elicited mixed support among his post players and role players despite fielding an injury-ravaged lineup.
Hardly, any of these images would become mistaken for such iconic Laker memories filled with championship glory. Instead, they partly explain why the Lakers finished last season with their worst record in LA. franchise history. Yet, the NBA’s Web site still compiled a list of the Lakers’ top 10 plays of the 2013-14 season, providing some rare good moments during an otherwise sour year.
You can see Nick Young making acrobatic shots. You can see Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson shows bursts of athleticism. You can see Jodie Meeks’ prolific scoring and endless hustle that ensured a career-high in points (15.7), shooting percentage (46.3%) and minutes played (33.2). You can see Ryan Kelly becoming a pleasant surprise as a second-round rookie.
But all of those moments cannot erase the reality that the Lakers’ 2013-14 season became mostly difficult to watch. It also does not camouflage the uncertainty that awaits ahead on the Lakers’ rebuilding process.
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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com