LeBron James attacked by Chris Vernon for putting LA Lakers in current circumstances: "They've signed every f**king person Klutch has had"

With LeBron James and the LA Lakers outside of playoff contention once again, blame has begun to fly in Los Angeles. While some hold owner Jeanie Buss and GM Rob Pelinka responsible for the team's current predicament, others believe LeBron James is to blame.

As one of the most hands-on players in the game, it's certainly no secret that the four-time champ likes to be involved in roster construction.

After the team won the now-infamous bubble championship, the front office — under pressure from James and Anthony Davis — acquired Russell Westbrook. In the trio's first season together, they played together just a handful of times as Davis and James both dealt with injuries. As a result, it was Westbrook who shouldered much of the blame for the team's shortcomings.

While the nine-time All-Star has thrived in a sixth-man role this season, the Lakers have had bigger concerns. After a historic losing streak to start the season, the team has been reeling from Anthony Davis' absence as of late.

NBA analyst Chris Vernon thinks LeBron James is to blame. He said:

"The roster is the roster because of LeBron James, he is not the victim of this. They've signed every F-in person that Klutch has had. ... They have all of them. They went and literally got the owner of the Wizards to trade them Russell Westbrook because he pressured them into that."

He further blamed the Lakers' approach to trades as the reason for them not having future assets. He said:

"The reason you don't have any other future assets, and that first round pick is looked at as gold, it's because you traded a hall for Anthony Davis. Their whole situation is in part because of LeBron, let's not act like he's just a victim that sits there while the roster built s**t around him."

You can see his comments in the video above beginning at the 2:15 mark.

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LeBron James and the LA Lakers' quest to make the playoffs

Apart from LeBron James setting his sights on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's regular season scoring record, the four-time champion has another goal - the playoffs. The Lakers were heavily criticized after missing out on the playoffs last season.

LeBron James Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers v Washington Wizards)

If they're able to make the playoffs this season, it will prove to fans and critics alike that last season was an anomaly. If not, they could find themselves in for a massive shake-up in the off-season.

While the team continues to cope with the foot injury to Anthony Davis, they will have to rely heavily on contributions from role players. With Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant both rising to the occasion, the team has shown that they're capable of big wins.

Whether or not that translates to a playoff run for the LA Lakers, only time will tell.