LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed during their brief time representing Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics that they can still go out and compete with the best of the best and come out on top. However, the Los Angeles Lakers have found it difficult to reach title-contending heights ever since they won it all in 2020. Following the past two seasons, it has become clear that the Lakers may need a seismic change to their roster to compete with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics — the two title favorites heading into next season.
However, barring an unforeseen blockbuster trade, they are going to enter the 2024-25 campaign with more or less the same roster that they ended the previous postseason with. Thus, it's not too big of a surprise to see James tempering expectations with regards to what the Lakers can achieve next season.
“I don't have any expectations. And that's unfair to put any expectations on us right now. The only thing that we can count on each other is how we come to practice and come to work every day,” James said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Having James and Davis on the roster always means that there will be huge expectations that follow the Lakers. Anything short of a legitimate run at the title will be considered a disappointment, and perhaps rightfully so. The lights are at their brightest in Hollywood, and with it comes major pressure to deliver at the grandest stage of competition.
James remains one of the best players in the association, but he's no longer the apex version of himself who could carry undermanned teams deep into the playoffs. Heading into his age-40 season, James needs more help than ever from his Lakers teammates, and it's not quite clear if he and Davis have a difference-maker on the roster to give them the help they need to get over the hump.
Perhaps having JJ Redick as the new head coach is the only major change the Lakers will need to enter inner-circle championship contention. But as James said, all they can do now is control how hard they work and how much they buy into the system Redick is setting in place.
How do the Lakers stack up against the best teams in the Western Conference?
The Lakers started off last season on a strong note. They were among the top-four teams in the Western Conference, and they ended up winning the inaugural NBA Cup (then called the NBA In-Season Tournament). But from that point forward, the Lakers descended towards mediocrity, and they ended up just making it into the playoffs via the play-in tournament — doing so for the second consecutive season.
It's clear that the Lakers need a third star — perhaps an All-Star level wing — to crack the top half of the playoff picture in the loaded West. James and Davis are guaranteed to miss their fair share of games, so they will need someone to pick up the slack when they're absent. Moreover, they need a 3-and-D wing to deal with the likes of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Anthony Edwards (to name a few).
JJ Redick will have to work his magic to get more consistent results from this Lakers roster. Perhaps running organized offense more often would do wonders for the team. But as of right now, it's hard to see the Lakers being any better than the Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Follow Us
Subscribe
