Lakers should learn their lesson, avoid Giannis

I get it, you’re still considering about the Lakers getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second spherical of the playoffs.

It was a valiant battle to the end, Monday’s season-ending 115-110 loss. A thriller for naught.

But now we’ve finally reached the big, lovely offseason the Lakers have been teasing for months. This pivotal second that’s had them hoarding belongings and fencing off their financial flexibility. All but paralyzed by risk.

Even after jogging in place all this time, they’ve finally caught up with the can they kicked down the highway: All indications are that the Milwaukee Bucks’ celebrity Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to hit the commerce market.

And the Lakers — loaded with commerce ammunition and cap space and perpetually wishing on star gamers — are going to be anticipated to make a play.

But they should run a different play.

For months, they’ve been signaling as if with a searchlight how a lot they covet the 6-foot-11 Greek ahead. So, of course, they’re going to take a run at the two-time NBA MVP, 10-time All-Star, 2021 NBA champion who will earn about $58 million next season, when the 31-year-old will count on a large, multi-year extension.

They should run the other direction.

The Lakers have stockpiled cap space and picks — as of draft night time, they’ll have 2026, 2031 and 2033 first-rounders to offer — like they’re doomsayers outfitting a bunker. If they fill all that obtainable cap space with Antetokounmpo’s wage, they received’t be utilizing it on LeBron James or Rui Hachimura. The Lakers doubtless also can have to empty their cabinet of those first-round picks.

And, yes, it could be a catastrophe to dedicate all of that to an growing older Antetokounmpo instead of doing the work to construct a appropriate military of function gamers to take on OKC’s corps — and to orbit Doncic, the man who the Lakers already introduced in to save the times forward.

But, wait, you say, this is the Lakers. This is stars shine right here.

Sure, but what does L.A. love most? Winners.

You know what constitutes a profitable method in today’s NBA?

Depth. Athleticism. Versatility. Optionality. Think, the 2019-2020 Lakers.

You know what doesn’t win?

Imbalanced rosters. Top-heavy groups. All your dang eggs in one basket. The misfit Russell Westbrook Lakers. These 2026 three-or-D Lakers. And definitely not a flimsy, clunky Luka Doncic-and-Antetokounmpo Lakers.

Sure, those guys are great gamers. They may determine it out.

But wouldn’t it be an optimum use of their respective abilities?

In Greek: όχι. In Slovenian: Ne.

In Los Angelese: Oh, heck no.

Everyone is aware of to get the best out of a Luka-led group, you encompass him with shooters — and Antetokounmpo is 28.5% from deep for his profession. But Hachimura — confirmed playoff riser and licensed laser — is a 51.6% three-point shooter in the postseason; the better more-gifted participant isn’t essentially the better match.

Because everybody also is aware of Antetokounmpo is at his best when he’s barreling toward the rim with the ball in his fingers — during which time Doncic goes to be doing what? Standing in the nook, arguing with the refs?

The last time they waited to catch the big fish, he didn’t chew. Fortuitously. They missed out on injury-prone Kawhi Leonard, who selected the Clippers before the 2019-20 season and left the Lakers to scramble to assemble … a championship roster.

Around James and Anthony Davis — who, enjoyable fact, made just $27 million that season before agreeing to a historic and more cumbersome three-year extension — the Lakers had shooters who may defend, like Danny Green. And defenders who may shoot, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso. Length all over the court. Athleticism in the post: JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard who may play with or for AD.

It’s the blueprint OKC has been utilizing, the same one the Lakers discarded to go big-name searching, bringing aboard Westbrook by trading away Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and a No. 22 choose.

Talk about a brick.

Milwaukee fired coach Doc Rivers and could be trading celebrity Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.

(Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press)

Similar story in Milwaukee, where Antetokounmpo’s Bucks went all in for Damian Lillard and don’t have anything but failure to show for it.

So if — or, nicely, when — the Lakers go in mad pursuit of Giannis, I’ll have questions.

I’ll query why the Bucks would have the urge for food to ship another singular, single-name expertise to L.A. after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got here and received 5 championships right here.

I’ll query whether or not Giannis needs to be in L.A., our “superficial” metropolis, as he called it.

I’ll query why the Lakers would invest so closely on an growing older, oft-injured star whose sport relies on athleticism and not the out-of-this-world basketball IQ like 41-year-old LeBron.

And, yes, I’ll query the match and the perform and whether or not the Lakers have totally missed what’s been taking place around them — and to them.