The Los Angeles Lakers are the staff to look at because the NBA season strikes alongside to the crucial level.
From buying Luka Doncic alone in basketball’s most gorgeous commerce, the Los Angeles Lakers have grabbed everybody’s consideration. And since then, they’ve been on a roll as one of many league’s hottest groups.
A excessive playoff spot is assured, with Doncic already gelling effectively with LeBron James, who continues to supply tremendously regardless of being at age 40.
Behind them, Austin Reaves is pulling an ideal job because the staff’s third star, whereas the likes of Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Jaxson Hayes proceed to impress too.
With how they’ve been enjoying up to now, the Lakers at the moment are going through questions, are they professional contenders?
Los Angeles needed to undergo rocky beginnings on the preliminary portion of 2024-25 outing, experiencing dropping runs and concern round rookie coach JJ Redick. However with a newfound optimism and motivation to compete in 2025 even earlier than Doncic’s arrival, they’re now knocking the door arduous to enter the dialogue.
Within the eyes of Los Angeles Occasions’ Dan Woike, the Lakers have a substantial shot to win all of it.
“They’ve an actual probability,” he mentioned on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “It looks like they’ve an actual probability this yr.
“I believe with an offseason to completely architect the roster across the guys that you’ve got within the core that you’ve got.
“Actually, they may have an opportunity there they usually’re additionally catching Luka Doncic at type of the right time.”
A number of heavyweights such because the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, and the reigning champ Boston Celtics are among the no-brainer top-tier title candidates. Behind that group, it’s troublesome to argue the Lakers are trending upward and are proper within the combine.
Apart from probably successful the title, the Lakers are strongly positioned for a brilliant future past this yr merely due to Doncic.
“When this commerce first occurred, there was a sense across the group that this Lakers had been offered an off-ramp,” Woike mentioned. “They will transfer now on this route the place they don’t want LeBron James on the identical means they wanted him six weeks in the past.
“They’ve a future. I believe what they’re seeing now within the speedy future is possibly much more Luka and LeBron than they realized. Ought to LeBron desires to do it, and we’ll see how lengthy he desires to do that.”
