It's been an interesting season in Southern California, as the Lakers are thriving in the Western Conference, despite some hiccups. This has led some NBA insiders to debate whether they are Western Conference contenders and can compete for a championship, according to a one-month, 30-team report by Tim Bontemps.
“It has been a fascinating opening month in L.A. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have put up gigantic numbers, and LeBron James has basically missed all of it,” one insider from the Western Conference stated.
The Lakers' defense has slightly improved in certain areas, helping them to an 11-4 record. Significantly, some of their best games on defense have included a 119-95 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks. That was the first time all season they held a team under 100 points. For the most part, they have not needed the defense to be at its best because the offense has been elite.
Doncic is leading the Lakers with 34.6 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Reaves is averaging 28.1 points per game. Deandre Ayton has been efficient, averaging 16.5 points per game. And recently, LeBron James returned to the lineup and will surely get into the scoring mix.
Despite this, some have doubts about the Lakers. Last week, the Lakers fell 121-92 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaving some NBA insiders wondering whether they are really that good.
“Opponents are having a field day at the rim, with the Lakers giving up 69 percent shooting inside of five feet (fourth-worst in the NBA). While they have an 11-4 record, they have middling overall efficiency numbers,” another insider from the Eastern Conference noted.
For context, the Lakers are 11th in offense, 17th in defense, and 14th in net rating. The insider stated that, as a result, they don't believe the Lakers can compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, or Houston Rockets. Overall, they believe the Lakers lack depth, and the top-line talent is what carries them, making them a potentially tough team in the playoffs.
