Another nationally televised game for the Los Angeles Lakers has been dropped. ESPN will no longer air the matchup between the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 23 according to Mike Bresnahan of the L.A. Times:
Another Laker game dumped by national TV, 3rd one this season: ESPN no longer televising Nets-Lakers on Feb. 23. To be replaced with HOU-PHX
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) February 10, 2014
As a result of ESPN choosing to broadcast the Houston Rockets against the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers have lost three nationally televised games this season and there might be more to come.
One of the main reasons for the lack of interest in the Lakers on a national stage has been the absence of Kobe Bryant. The superstar guard has only played six games this season and there’s no telling when he’ll return to the floor.
Despite many believing that Bryant should just shut it down this season, the future Hall of Famer has been adamant about his desire to get back on the floor before season’s end.
With 32 games left for the Lakers this season, the team appears to be headed toward a high draft pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Although the team was reluctant to admit this is a lost season, things have changed recently with GM Mitch Kupchak saying that Lakers will get a lottery pick.
Needless to say, the season couldn’t end soon enough for this team in order to start picking up the pieces in the off-season by drafting well and possibly bringing in a few big-name free agents.
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