Lakers GM says he can’t really evaluate team yet, plan is to keep Gasol

What is the identity of this Los Angeles Lakers team? What kind of team are they?

You don’t know. I don’t know. It’s pretty clear the players don’t know. With the roster and coaching and system changes, they have not found their footing yet.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak doesn’t know either. He doesn’t like the record but he told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News he doesn’t yet know what he’s got.

“I can’t sit here and say I’m happy with our record. I don’t think that’s a stretch for me or any Laker fan to say that. That’s just stating the obvious. But I’m not sure how you assess this team until you get key players back.”

Well, fans are assessing it by wins and losses. That’s the problem.

But Medina wisely was more direct — do you plan to keep Pau Gasol?

“That has always been the plan,” Kupchak said. “Nothing has happened to change the plan.”

Yet.

Kupchak seconded reports that it will be weeks before Steve Nash returns to the lineup. Which means a couple different tests are on tap for the squad.

“I’m curious to see how the team gets through the next two or three weeks until Steve gets back,” Kupchak said. “Once he gets back, then I’m curious to see how he fits in with everybody.”

The goal for the Lakers has not changed — they see themselves as title contenders. But even if the Lakers do get it together when Nash and Gasol get back and start to blend in, this start has made their path harder. At this point the Lakers are not going to catch Oklahoma City, San Antonio or Memphis in the standings, and likely not the Clippers (the Lakers are 5.5 games back). Which would have them as a five seed at best, playing every round of the playoffs on the road.

But that is the price for this start. And we haven’t seen enough of the Lakers to assess if they could climb that mountain or not.