To say it was a failed season for the Los Angeles Lakers is an understatement. Despite bringing superstar LeBron James to the roster, the team was unable to get things together for a playoff run. It marks the team's sixth straight year of not making the NBA Playoffs. It also snaps LeBron James' personal streak of 13-straight playoff appearances. The season was full of all sorts of "excuses" one could point out, ranging from injuries to suspensions, and that failed Anthony Davis trade. However, some are also pointing the finger at LeBron James, including his own teammates this past season.

While it may not mean that the Lakers should trade LeBron James, it certainly is something that even LeBron seems to want to address.

Young Lakers called out LeBron

LeBron has his faults too. On Feb. 24, the Lakers' Rajon Rondo called for a team meeting in Memphis. The meeting came following a loss to Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. LeBron James came into the spotlight at that meeting, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. It was basically an "open forum" and young players questioned LeBron's "inconsistent body language throughout the year." LeBron admitted to being guilty of "slumped shoulders and sideways glances" throughout of his career. He also admitted it's something he's always been working on "cutting out."

James appeared to be more involved with teammates in their game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

It was still a 110-105 Lakers loss, but LeBron was putting his arm around players during huddles and seemed more vocal on defense, among other actions. It was the sort of behavior that a team leader exudes in these situations. Still, it didn't give them enough oomph to win the game.

A team source would say that the "positive" meeting didn't necessarily mean the LA Lakers were going to win 25-straight games.

That certainly was true, as the team didn't produce anything near a steady streak of wins. The team was 2-10 over their next 12 games despite having the best basketball player on the planet.

Trade rumors hurt chemistry

A lot has been mentioned about the Lakers' pursuit of Anthony Davis this season. It seems to be no great secret that LeBron prefers to have All-Star caliber players alongside him.

That was the case in his championship runs with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. In Los Angeles, there are no current All-Stars teamed up with LeBron, as Rajon Rondo is the closest to that sort of player. JaVale McGee also has playoff and championship experience.

After those two players, it's a young Lakers team that has been gaining experience game-by-game and improving. At different times, fans have seen flashes of brilliance from Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram. But as even Kobe Bryant suggested Anthony Davis is better than those three players.

For those younger players to see their names mentioned in trade headlines, one has to think it had an effect on mindset.

While Magic Johnson referred to them as professionals, suggesting they'd go about business, it didn't seem to be the case. There are still those lingering thoughts in their minds that the team was willing to give them away ahead of a possible playoff run.

Add in the fact that their leader, LeBron James, wasn't necessarily leading like many believe he should, and it can cause a team implosion. LeBron is one of the best talents on the planet in terms of basketball skills. However, at this point in his veteran career, leadership should be a built-in aspect of his on-court demeanor. Is it possible Clyde Frazier and the other critics were right in their assessment of LeBron's behavior?

It's going to be extremely interesting to see if the young players bounce back, if the Lakers deal some of them, and if LeBron changes his body language. That said, don't be surprised by some roster upgrades in the next five months for a rebooted Lakers' squad.
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