The Lakers Need To Stop Restarting The Season

“It’s okay, guys, the real season doesn’t start until February.”

One cliché that underachieving teams often cling to is the idea that a that, in the middle of a depressing streak of terrible results, it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf. The hope is that, with enough hard work and determination, a team can rediscover its true form. The 17-25 Los Angeles Lakers are still waiting to find that form, and they’ve rebooted the season at least five times already.

2. October 30th: The Los Angeles Lakers open the actual NBA season with a loss against the Mavericks.

Image by Jae C. Hong / AP

3. November 9th: The Lakers fire coach Mike Brown after a 1-4 start and win a few games under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff.

Image by Brandon Wade,File / AP

Lakers’ first-season record: 5-5

5. November 20th: The Lakers begin a de facto second season under new coach Mike D’Antoni.

D’Antoni wins his first game at the helm in Brooklyn, but the Lakers continue to flounder, dropping nine of the next 12 games.

Image by Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

Lakers’ second-season record: 10-10

7. December 31st: The Lakers’ third season begins.

Via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Image by The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette / AP

8. Next game: The Lakers begin a six-game losing streak.

Image by Gus Ruelas / AP

Lakers’ third-season record: 2-10

10. January 11th: After losing to the Thunder, the Lakers’ fourth season begins.

Via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Image by Photo by Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

11. Next game: The Lakers beat Cleveland! And Milwaukee! Then lose three straight.

The Lakers followed up two wins with losses to Miami, Toronto, and Chicago.

Image by Mark J. Terrill / AP

Lakers’ fourth-season record: 2-3

13. January 23rd: Dwight Howard says the Lakers will begin a fifth season.

Via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Image by THE CANADIAN PRESS,Nathan Denette / AP

14. Later that day:

Image by Nikki Boertman / Reuters

Lakers’ fifth-season record so far: 0-1

16. In not a single one of the Lakers’ five seasons is their winning percentage good enough to make the playoffs.

The Rockets hold the 8th spot in the Western Conference at 22-22, but they own a tiebreaker against the Lakers.