Over/Under: Los Angeles Lakers 2023-24

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: 47.5 WINS – OVER Key Additions Jalen Hood-Schifino (draft) Jaxson Hayes (free agency) Taurean Prince (free…

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: 47.5 WINS – OVER

Key Additions

Jalen Hood-Schifino (draft)Jaxson Hayes (free agency)Taurean Prince (free agency)Gabe Vincent (free agency)Christian Wood (free agency)

Key Subtractions

Dennis SchroderMalik BeasleyTroy Brown Jr.Lonnie WalkerLebron’s status as best player on the team

Rotation

GuardsD’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-SchifinoWingsAustin Reaves, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Max ChristieForwardsLeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Jarred VanderbiltBigsAnthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood

Random thoughts, opinions, comments, declarations, queries, editorials, etc.

The Lakers’ ‘22-’23 season was a tale of 2 halves. A nightmarish first half, caused in large part by Russell Westbrook’s inability to play basketball when the ball itself isn’t in his hands. His poor shooting only compounded it, leading to LeBron & AD losing faith in him. As the deadline approached, LeBron was basically declaring publicly that he wanted Russ to be traded for Kyrie. And, though it wasn’t for Kyrie, Russ was finally shipped out.

However, the Lakers finished 16-7 after the deadline, despite LeBron missing time. The surprise here was the rise of Austin Reaves, who essentially outplayed Russell Westbrook, D’Angelo Russell, Troy Brown Jr., Lonnie Walker, Kendrick Nunn, and Malik Beasley to entrench himself as the clear cut 3rd option after ‘Bron & AD. Additionally, Schroder showed the league that he can still play big minutes on a playoff team, becoming the best perimeter defender on the team (and eventually a nice new contract from the Raps).

No one would have predicted the Lakers would’ve gotten all the way to the WCF. It’s a compliment to Darvin Ham, ‘Bron, AD, Reaves, and, most of all, Rob Pelinka, who somewhat redeemed himself after the disastrous Westbrook deal. And he wasn’t done either. The Lakers had an amazing offseason, bringing back Reaves & Rui on team-friendly deals, and then grabbing Gabe Vincent, fresh off averaging 12.7ppg in 22 post-season games last year while starting for the Heat in the NBA Finals. Expect some regression to the mean for opponent’s 3P%, but the Lakers will be a threat once again this year.

Last Year – Interesting Stats

1st in the NBA in FTs attempted1st in the NBA in FTs allowed2nd in opponents 3P% allowed16-7 record post all-star breakLeBron has played 278 out of 410 reg. season games since becoming a Laker.LeBron played in more games with the Heat (294) in 4 seasons than with the Lakers (278) in 5 seasons

Keys to Success

No More Russell Westbrick, Austin Reaves continues his rise, Rui & Gabe prove the playoffs weren’t a fluke, AD wins Defensive Player of the Year

Potential Obstacles

AD’s health, LeBron starts to finally lose the battle vs Father Time, D’Angelo Russell plays juuuuuuust well enough to keep his starting PG job, Austin Reaves’ defense becomes a massive liability

Hot takes

LeBron plays in less than 50 games this seasonAnthony Davis plays in 65+ while being named to an All-NBA teamAD wins DPOYChristian Wood is released before the end of the seasonAustin Reaves is seen at a club in West Hollywood with a Kardashian

STANDINGS PREDICTION: 5TH IN THE WEST