"Then why did the Celtics win the championship?": Lakers fans in shambles after front office says 'three stars model' not working in today's NBA

Building a roster in today’s NBA has become increasingly complex, and the LA Lakers reportedly believe that forming big threes is no longer the ideal strategy. However, some fans argue that big threes can still be effective, citing the Boston Celtics as an example.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted that the Lakers think having three highly paid stars restricts flexibility and complicates roster construction.

“They’ll certainly use them if there’s a player that makes sense as part of a bigger deal, but right now, they’re not involved in any deals that would land them a third star. They’re seeing the landscape of this league and that the three stars model, with this salary cap, doesn’t work or it’s much more difficult for it to work,” he said on SportsCenter.

Fans quickly criticized the Lakers’ strategy, pointing to the Celtics' recent championship win, with user @Kwintarget on X (formerly Twitter) asking:

“Then why did the Celtics win the championship?”

The Celtics' roster, crafted by Executive of the Year Brad Stevens, boasts not just three but five stars: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White.

User @bronisabeast echoed this sentiment, saying:

“Celtics have 5 stars but okay.”

User @EdwardIrr4 pointed out the Celtics' unique success with their draft picks, particularly Tatum and Brown, who are homegrown talents.

“3 stars will only ever work again with teams that got extremely lucky with their drafting. The Celtics are the closest thing to the Warriors in this respect,” he said. “You can’t build a three star team via trades or free agency anymore. You’d be too financially handicapped.”

Here are other thoughts from fans on the Lakers’ new team-building strategy:

Looking at the Lakers' offseason moves so far

Discussing the Lakers’ offseason so far, Wojnarowski said the team is aware it can only make smaller moves unless a significant opportunity arises.

“What’s left are going to be minimum contracts, are going to be some moves on the edges, but there’s not a dramatic deal for the Lakers to do out in the marketplace. They don’t want to use their draft picks to get contracts off," he said.

The Lakers have made only minor adjustments to their roster, with the most notable moves being re-signing LeBron James, drafting his son Bronny, extending Max Christie and adding sharpshooter Dalton Knecht.

They have not managed to secure a third star to pair with James and Anthony Davis and help the team go beyond the first round of the playoffs.

More changes have occurred in the coaching staff, with new head coach JJ Redick and assistants Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks joining the team.