Despite the arrival of LeBron James in Hollywood, ESPN does not see the Los Angeles Lakers making it to the playoffs next season. Thatā€™s one hot take right there. Although the Western Conferenceā€™s terrain is much harder to navigate through than that one in the East, James remains a towering figure that hasnā€™t missed playing the offseason in what feels like ages.

Unlike ESPN, the oddsmakers over at Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas have set a higher expectation of the Lakers. According to Westgate SuperBook manager Jeff Sherman, the Lakers have a win totals line of 48.5.

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To put that line into a better perspective, the Lakers have not won more than 48 wins since the 2010-11 season when the team went 57-25 in the regular season and managed to reach the second round of the playoffs. Since then, the best record the Lakers have had was a 45-37 slate back in the 2012-13 campaign.

The Lakers have not posted a winning record in each of the franchiseā€™s last five seasons. Last season, Los Angeles finished 11th in the West with a 35-47 ledger, but roster modifications this summer have given the team plenty of reasons to be optimistic about its future. With James in the fold, the Lakers have a clear-cut leader they havenā€™t had in years. While they struck out in trying to acquire Paul George and failed to trade for Kawhi Leonard, the Lakers have James surrounded by capable pieces in the likes of Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, and Lance Stephenson to name a few.