Subscribe
Follow Us
LeBron James' arrival in Los Angeles Lakers brought back the hype to the Purple & Gold. Fans and critics alike are waiting and expecting the team to be either instant contenders or just woeful pretenders.
The experts have also weighed in on whether they think the Lakers are going to be good or bad this upcoming season. The ESPN Summer Forecast panel voted on who they think will be Team Turnaround and Team Turmoil in 2018-19, and the Lakers ended up on top in both polls.
The James-led team received 121 points to nab first place in the Team Turnaround forecast, followed by the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Bucks and Nuggets. LeBron teams have been in the playoffs basically his entire career, so the expectations for the Lakers to improve and enter the postseason are naturally high.
The summer acquisitions of the Grizzlies and Mavericks were also why experts think they will improve their chances this season.
On the other hand, Luke Walton's team was also voted as Team Turmoil, beating the likes of the Wizards, Timberwolves and Rockets. The polarizing opinions are brought by the interesting lineup the Lakers currently have. Offseason signings such as Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Michael Beasley are interesting locker room additions. It is safe to say that they are high-risk, high-reward players, and it is now LeBron's responsibility to figure out how to get the best out of them.
The young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma need to develop fast. Playing with veterans and a proven winner in James will speed up that process. If things fall into place, the Lakers can become a force to be reckoned with this year. If things go awry, it might be the first time for a James-led team to miss the postseason in a long time.
