The Los Angeles Lakers have tried to add talent to their roster this offseason but have so far been unsuccessful. The team still has stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster and has a fighting chance every time they step on the court.
But the supporting cast has proven shaky and unreliable when it mattered most, and with the new season still a long way to go, the Lakers aren't getting very positive reviews around the league with their current roster.
According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, many in the NBA view the Lakers as they did last season, with many not fearing them even though their two stars are still on the team.
“But what's clear from Las Vegas is that many in the NBA believe the Lakers need to bolster their roster if they are to have a chance to advance in the playoffs. In a survey of more than a dozen front-office executives, coaches, scouts and agents who attended the NBA Summer League, most projected the Lakers as a likely play-in team, ranking them as a fifth- to tenth-seed in the West. No one thought the team could win as it is currently constructed. Several cited a lack of two-way wings and holes at backup center behind Davis as reasons for their pessimism.”
With their current setup, the Lakers are a bottom-tier playoff team at best. If they play well, they can slip into the top six, but a lot of things have to go right for that to happen.
The Lakers ended up being a play-in team last season despite the relative health of James and Davis, and while there are other issues that directly point to why, the team didn't play to its full potential.
The Lakers may be better under new head coach JJ Redick, but they still have a lot of work to do. Los Angeles must find a way to bolster its roster for the remainder of the offseason or risk the same fate next season.
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