NBA

‘The Truth’ Speaks the Truth When It Comes to the Current State of the LA Lakers

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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against the Denver Nuggets.

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have been NBA rivals since the Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain days. There’s no love lost between the two teams, and the players’ strong dislike for each other carries over well after their playing days.

To this day, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about how clinching the 1985 NBA Finals in Boston made his career. Last year, Magic Johnson took to Twitter, calling the Celtics one of the NBA’s biggest disappointments during their rough start to the season.

Now it’s Paul Pierce’s turn. The former Celtics star, known as “The Truth,” recently spoke the truth when it comes to the current state of Boston’s rival.

The LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics are heading in different directions

'The Truth' Speaks the Truth When It Comes to the Current State of the LA Lakers
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 26, 2022, in Denver, Colorado.
| Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images.

The NBA is much more fun when the Lakers and the Celtics are good. Although they only face off against each other twice in a season, they have squared off against each other in the NBA Finals 12 times. The last time they played for a championship was in 2010 when the Lakers outlasted the Celtics in seven games.

The Lakers last went to the NBA Finals in 2020, defeating the Miami Heat in a COVID-19-interrupted season. The Celtics went last year, falling to the Golden State Warriors after putting together one of the greatest midseason turnarounds in franchise history.

While the Celtics battled their way through the postseason a year ago, the LeBron James-led Lakers failed to make the playoffs. James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook were good enough to guide the Lakers to 33 wins last season. The Lakers are a collection of three aging stars and a cast of surrounding players who can’t shoot. They are 0-4 this year and show no sign of hope.

The Celtics have picked up right where they ended last year. The Celtics ended the regular season with a 26-6 record to secure the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Even playing under a rookie head coach in Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics won their first three games of the season and stand at 3-1 heading into Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unlike the Lakers, the Celtics improved in the offseason by adding depth to their roster. The Celtics traded for veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who has given the team a jolt off the bench. Boston is primed to return to the Finals, while the Lakers seem as if they’ll struggle to match last year’s win total.

Paul Pierce says the Lakers should blow up their roster

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The Lakers are going nowhere as presently constructed. They’ve become the laughingstock of the NBA. Now, Pierce is even taking a shot at the Lakers. Actually, it might not even be a shot. He’s spitting out facts.

The Lakers will try to get their first victory of the season Friday night. It won’t be easy as they head to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves as a seven-point underdog.

“If The Lakes go 0-5 tonight, it’s time to Blow it up Truth is Truth,” Pierce tweeted.

When one Twitter user asked which player they should move, Pierce was quick to respond.

“Everyone,” he wrote.

Pierce is right. The Lakers need to start over. They don’t even have to wait until their fifth straight loss. They should be looking to wheel and deal. They’re 0-4, and we all know Davis will likely be shelved with an injury at some point this year.

It will be tough to move some of those pieces with the hefty contracts, but it’s time to shake things up in LA because this team is going nowhere if they leave it alone.

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