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The Los Angeles Lakers have immense pressure entering the 2022-23 season. The whole NBA world will watch every game of the LA, especially with the unfortunate performance they showcased last season. Missing the playoffs and play-in tournament for a team composed of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook was a glaring issue, but the Lakers retooled their lineup in the offseason and will try to come back with a vengeance.
Patrick Beverley and the returning Dennis Schroder are two of the most talked about off-season additions for the Purple and Gold. General Manager Rob Pelinka signed a few free agents as well, namely Lonnie Walker IV, Damian Jones, Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., and Juan Toscano-Anderson For newly-hired coach Darvin Ham, this will be a new and welcoming challenge for the rookie coach.
How healthy are LeBron and AD?
LeBron James is known to be the ironman of NBA History because of the longevity and durability he has continued to possess. The numbers and eye test have still been fantastic for James, but one minor concern is his missed games the last several seasons. After playing 82 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017-18 season, James has only played a total of 223 games in the past four years.
James is entering 2022-23 with a fully-healthy and rejuvenated self, but the more concerning aspect is the body of Anthony Davis. He has been injury prone over the course of his whole career, but Davis will need to play at least over 65 games this season for the Lakers to be some sort of a threat in the Western Conference. When James and Davis are both healthy, the realistic ceiling for LA is winning the NBA championship.
What role can Russell Westbrook be effective in?
During Draft day last year, it was shocking for Pelinka to execute a trade that acquired Hall of Fame Russell Westbrook for numerous role players. The biggest question mark in getting Westbrook was his fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which was a disastrous experience in his first year in a Lakers uniform.
Former LA coach Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook did not have a terrific relationship as well, so the optimism for Lakers fans is for Darvin Ham to drastically change his role this season. Being a magnificent off-ball cutter and screener is one of the few ways he can flourish with James and Davis on the floor together. Westbrook will need to adjust, and Ham's schemes will be intriguing in how he will utilize Westbrook.
How deep is this iteration of the Lakers?
One can easily forget that the batch of Lakers who won the 2020 bubble championship was a deep crew. Frank Vogel had the liberty to maneuver with a plethora of lineup combinations until he found the unit that was unstoppable in the NBA Playoffs. Surrounding LeBron James with a slew of shooters seems like the key ingredient to success, comparing it to his success with the Cavaliers and Miami Heat as well.
The concern is the lack of shooting James has around him over the past two seasons. It shrinks the spacing of the Lakers with two non-shooters in Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook along with another big man with subpar shooting abilities. It will be interesting to see how Darvin Ham will maximize the talent of his bench because there is a lack of intrigue with the offseason acquisitions of the organization.
The current roster of the Lakers does not seem to be a legitimate championship contender, but outcomes can definitely change, especially with the Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook on the roster.
