For those of us old enough, following the Lakers in the last month or so has been a bit like following Oprah in the 1990s, with the gaining and losing of weight generally being the chief storyline. Of course,

Back in 2019, it certainly appeared as though the Mavericks had thrust themselves onto a path that would eventually lead to rookie star Luka Doncic landing in the NBA Finals with Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis.