Just say no. Lakers should learn their lesson, avoid Giannis Antetokounmpo - BERITAJA

I get it, you’re still reasoning about the Lakers getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder successful the 2nd information of the playoffs.

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

But now we’ve yet reached the big, beautiful offseason the Lakers person been teasing for months. This pivotal infinitesimal that’s had them hoarding assets and fencing disconnected their financial flexibility. All but paralyzed by possibility.

Even aft jogging successful spot each this time, they’ve yet caught up pinch the could they kicked down the road: All indications are that the Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to deed the waste and acquisition market.

And the Lakers — loaded pinch waste and acquisition ammunition and headdress abstraction and everlastingly wishing connected prima players — are going to beryllium expected to make a play.

But they should tally a different play.

For months, they’ve been signaling arsenic if pinch a searchlight really overmuch they covet the 6-foot-11 Greek forward. So, of course, they’re going to return a tally astatine the two-time NBA MVP, 10-time All-Star, 2021 NBA champion who will gain about $58 cardinal adjacent season, erstwhile the 31-year-old will expect a massive, multi-year extension.

They should tally the different direction.

The Lakers person stockpiled headdress abstraction and picks — arsenic of draught night, they’ll person 2026, 2031 and 2033 first-rounders to connection — for illustration they’re doomsayers outfitting a bunker. If they capable each that disposable headdress abstraction pinch Antetokounmpo’s salary, they won’t beryllium utilizing it connected LeBron James aliases Rui Hachimura. The Lakers apt besides will person to quiet their cupboard of those first-round picks.

And, yes, it would beryllium a disaster to dedicate each of that to an aging Antetokounmpo alternatively of doing the activity to build a suitable service of domiciled players to return connected OKC’s corps — and to orbit Doncic, the feline who the Lakers already brought successful to prevention the days ahead.

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

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

Lakers defender Austin Reaves questions an charismatic about a telephone during Game 4 against the Thunder connected Monday nighttime astatine Crypto.com Arena.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

You cognize what constitutes a winning look successful today’s NBA?

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

You cognize what doesn’t win?

Imbalanced rosters. Top-heavy teams. All your dang eggs successful 1 basket. The misfit Russell Westbrook Lakers. These 2026 three-or-D Lakers. And surely not a flimsy, clunky Luka Doncic-and-Antetokounmpo Lakers.

Sure, those guys are awesome players. They could fig it out.

But would it beryllium an optimum usage of their respective talents?

In Greek: όχι. In Slovenian: Ne.

In Los Angelese: Oh, heck no.

Everyone knows to get the champion retired of a Luka-led team, you situation him pinch shooters — and Antetokounmpo is 28.5% from heavy for his career. But Hachimura — proven playoff riser and certified laser — is simply a 51.6% three-point shooter successful the postseason; the amended more-gifted subordinate isn’t needfully the amended fit.

Because everyone besides knows Antetokounmpo is astatine his champion erstwhile he’s barreling toward the rim pinch the shot successful his hands — during which clip Doncic is going to beryllium doing what? Standing successful the corner, arguing pinch the refs?

The past clip they waited to drawback the large fish, he didn’t bite. Fortuitously. They missed retired connected injury-prone Kawhi Leonard, who chose the Clippers earlier the 2019-20 play and near the Lakers to scramble to combine … a title roster.

Around James and Anthony Davis — who, nosy fact, made conscionable $27 cardinal that play earlier agreeing to a historical and much cumbersome three-year hold — the Lakers had shooters who could defend, for illustration Danny Green. And defenders who could shoot, for illustration Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso. Length each complete the court. Athleticism successful the post: JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard who could play pinch aliases for AD.

It’s the blueprint OKC has been using, the aforesaid 1 the Lakers discarded to spell big-name hunting, bringing aboard Westbrook by trading distant Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and a No. 22 pick.

Talk about a brick.

Milwaukee fired coach Doc Rivers and mightiness beryllium trading superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.

(Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press)

Similar communicative successful Milwaukee, wherever Antetokounmpo’s Bucks went each successful for Damian Lillard and person thing but nonaccomplishment to show for it.

So if — or, well, erstwhile — the Lakers spell successful huffy pursuit of Giannis, I will person questions.

I’ll mobility why the Bucks would person the appetite to nonstop different singular, single-name talent to L.A. aft Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came and won 5 championships here.

I’ll mobility whether Giannis wants to beryllium successful L.A., our “superficial” city, arsenic he called it.

I’ll mobility why the Lakers would put truthful heavy connected an aging, oft-injured prima whose crippled is predicated connected athleticism and not the out-of-this-world hoops IQ for illustration 41-year-old LeBron.

And, yes, I’ll mobility the fresh and the usability and whether the Lakers person afloat missed what’s been happening about them — and to them.