Hot take - This is a championship level roster

[PICKnPOP]

I’m convinced that with a competent coach this team has what it takes to win it all if healthy. Let’s just take a look at Depth

C:

AD/Wood
An all star and his backup is a career 14/7 guy with the potential to give you 20/10 on any given night. He is also capable of stepping into a starting role when AD is out and giving you 20/10. Also 37% career from 3.

PF
Lebron/Rui

Goat and a backup that has a career average of 14ppg on 37% from 3. Rui is another guy that can go off for 20 any given night and step into a starting role to give you 20.

SF
Vando/Knecht

One of the top defensive players in our league when healthy. As a backup we have a walking bucket that averaged 21ppg on 39 % from 3 in college. He won best Sf award in college. These guys are polar opposites but gives our team versatility.

SG
Reaves/ Christie

A gamer at the 2. Austin is gonna show up and give you his all every single night. 16ppg last season 37% from 3. At backup I believe we have our 3&D wing we have been looking for. He has taken steps forward in every season so far and in his 3rd season will be vital to our rotation. Wouldn’t even mind switching these two and having Austin come off the bench for balance.

PG

Dlo is a sniper from 3 giving us 18ppg last season while shooting 41% from 3. He also thrives as a secondary playmaker next to lebron and a guy who can run the team when lebron is out. He doesn’t provide much on defense and his playoff history is shaky. However, backing him up we have a gamer. Gabe brings defense and effort to the 1. He’s a proven playoff performer.

We don’t have a perfect roster, but we do have a really nice balance. We have some starters who struggle defensively, but their backups are a lot better in that area (reaves, Russell). We have a SF who gives very little offensively, but we just drafted a rookie who is a walking bucket. AD can’t really shoot anymore, but woods is a sniper from 3 at the 5.

I think injury and coaching beat us last season. I think we could have beaten the nuggets in the playoffs and I I like our chances against anyone else in the NBA once we get past them. According to the nuggets even they thought the lakers were gonna win that series.

I’m getting pumped about this season.

My ideal lineup to bring balance is

AD
Lebron
Vando
Max
Dlo

Bench:

Wood
Rui
knecht
Austin
Gabe

I think we would have the best bench in the NBA. Austin is a bucket and is clearly a starter in this league. However, there’s only one ball in the starting lineup. Lebron, AD need it the most and Dlo is our best shooter to compliment them. When the bench comes in Austin can run that unit, and allow Gabe to take on the best offensive player allowing reaves to use more energy on offense himself. Let max Christie take on the other teams best guard, and Vando take on the best wing. Allowing Bron and Russell to hide on that end And have more energy offensively.


This team has what it takes as is. I don’t think they need a big bruising center. If so they can’t find someone for the minimum (Dwight?). Cuz that player is only going to be needed for a handful of matchups a season Ijs.
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“like I never left”

#1

[defense]

What if they don't start who you think will start? Are they still championship caliber then?

[ocho]

I generally encourage optimism and the summer is when those flames are fanned the hottest but an awful lot of hope is being invested in a rookie coach and more minutes for Max Christie. Sad state of affairs. I’ll tune in out of habit but this is the least excited I’ve been for a season in quite a long time. Maybe ever.
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14-5-3-12

[RI Laker]

I would LOVE to be wrong. I just do not see it. We are at best the same (lucky to get in playoffs) despite offing Hamhead. The West has gotten better (other than Denver who is better than us anyways) from the top down. This does not bode well for us. Sorry to sound negative but I am keeping expectations in check (been burned to many times).

[unleasHell]

Anyone recall how many rookie coaches won a championship during their first season coaching?

While it's true that the Lakers had tons of key players miss time last year, they are basically returning the same team (hopefully more healthy), but I don't see how they are much better than (about) the 10th best team in the NBA..

My expectations are low, but hope springs eternal...
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What does Marcellus Wallace look like?

[ocho]

[venturalakersfan]

[LakersRGolden]

They're better than some past Championship teams. They are not Tier 1 for this year.

[Denny_Russo]

If AD is healthy, anything is possible. He's practically the entire defense.

That's a very big if.
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Yi Jianlian Fanboy. Respect The Chair.
Starting anew. I'm retiring my main.

[BandwagonLBJhopper]

[miggz23]

[Denny_Russo]

[Hanging from Rafters]

Theoretically the optimism can be justified…anything can happen…but realistically when the hope is for so many players to be different than they were last year it’s just not reasonably logical to expect it as part of a legitimate plan for a ship.

Wood/Vando/Knecht/MaxC/Vincent all have to do something different than what they did last year and only Wood…out of all of them…have displayed the ability from past play to consistency produce what we expect. Vando got played off the floor for a DNP his last playoff stint, Knecht is a rookie and has never played against NBA rotation players, MaxC gives good vibes and we’re counting on him but he has never been in a meaningful rotation for any significant amount of time, and then finally Vincent’s Miami playoff run looks more like an aberration than something to expect from him again when looking at his production with Miami in the regular season and the complete ineffectiveness of almost every minute he logged for the Lakers.

It could be risky to count on 2 or 3 players to be different, but to count on 5 is just irresponsible. We could get lucky and all 5 of them do something they didn’t do last season, but that should be a bonus, not the plan A. The Lakers should have taken the layup and added Valanciunas and also replaced TPrince. Had that been done the possible surge of Wood/Vando/Knecht/MaxC/Vincent could be promising, but relying on that group to not only replace TPrince’s production but to also attain ship status is just hope at this point. Even tho it could work, just relying on hope shouldn’t be a plan for a ship with AD/LBJ.
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“When it looks as if it is a realistic possibility, I want to focus on winning a ship like it’s a goal that can’t be denied. I didn’t see that this off season.”

[slavavov]

I appreciate your optimism PICKnPOP. I think the Lakers are definitely better than many others think and that the Western Conference isn't as tough as some say it is.

But we're not a championship-caliber team. We don't have a 3-and-D wing, we don't have a legit defensive center and our starting guards are slow and lackluster defensively.

But we're a definite playoff team. If the Lakers had bothered to play hard against inferior teams this past season, they could've easily finished fourth and had a pathway back to the WCF.
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Lakers 49ers Chargers Dodgers

[PICKnPOP]

I really think JJ reddick is the key that will u lock this teams potential. I know it seems like we have a lot of holes based off of what we saw last season, but I believe it’s not as bad as it seems.

There’s more than one way to handle those big bruising centers. Wood can literally shoot them off the court! We can also run them off the court. We can target them in the PnR. We don’t necessarily have to match size with size.

I think AD is a defensive center.

I think Max is our 3&D wing.

I was watching an episode of reddick/lebron podcast and they were discussing how to defend the PnR. Lebron feels like switching is the worst thing you can do. He believes that the guard should be left alone to fight over the screens. If that’s the case I believe Gabe/max have to start!!one of them need to be on the court at all times to defend the PnR.

I watched a few episodes and I can see him being able to utilize Vando a lot better so he’s not as much of a liability on offense. I think JJ plans to get a lot more out of our role players and I’m excited about that because we have a lot of talent.

I’m as disappointed as everyone else with how last season ended. However, I also remember how this team dominated 2 years ago all the way to the WCF. I feel like Darvin got outcoached. I also think Darvin lost the team early last season. By December it was obvious and by playoffs I think the team was ready for the season to end so they could be rid of him.

If you compare this roster to that roster we are a better team.

Wood is way better than Gabriel

We have also been together a few years now. So chemistry will be a lot better.

Most won’t agree but I’m excited about this team.

This is the year AD gets DPOY

Knecht is getting RoY

Jj is getting COY

The energy is already different around this team. Can’t wait for the season to start.
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“like I never left”

#1

[lakersboy]

[lakersboy]

[ocho]

[Hammett]

Ham sucked, and there was a divide between the players and the coach. If AD and Lebron stay healthy, JJ can lead a good system... I think we got a chance.
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Lakers. Built different.

[Hard_Butter]

[ocho]

[levon]

[manlisten]

I think this team will exceed expectations if only because they aren't high to begin with. The offense should hum and make games fun to watch. The defense of Gabe/Max/Vando will determine this team's ceiling.
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It was reminiscent of one of those Most Interesting Man in the World advertisements: "I don't always shoot 6-for-28 from the field, but when I do, I become the youngest player in league history to score 28,000 career points."

[Halflife]

expectations are championship when you have two 50m per players on your team.
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Kobe.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clw9scopegx/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[governator]