Lakers Players Under Most Pressure Entering 2022-23 NBA Season

The Los Angeles Lakers perpetually reside in a pressure cooker.

They are, after all, the NBA's glamour franchise. Between their storied history and the glare of the Hollywood spotlight, they're often the team to watch even when they aren't a great team.

Still, within this land of Purple and Gold, there is a hierarchy of pressure, as no two players face the same amount. Because of this, it's worth examining the roster to identify which three Lakers will face the most pressure during the 2022-23 season.

Anthony Davis

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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 05: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks off the court following the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on April 05, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 121-110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Anthony Davis long ago justified the heavy premium the Lakers paid to acquire him, as he helped deliver a title during his first season in Southern California.

Still, he hasn't been close to the same caliber of player since. His injury issues are way up, and his numbers are trending the other way.

He has played just 76 games during the last two seasons combined. During this stretch, he has averaged 22.5 points while posting a 23.1 player efficiency rating, per Basketball-Reference. Those are good numbers, but not great ones, especially by Davis' standards. In 2019-20, he put up 26.1 points per night with a 27.4 PER.

The Lakers need that version of Davis—or something close to it—to make the massive leap from the lottery to championship contention.

LeBron James

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 1: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 1, 2022 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images)

When LeBron James was healthy last season, he gave the Lakers everything he had—and then some. His 30.3 points per game were the second-most of his storied career, during his age-37 season, no less. He also cleared his career shooting rates from the field (52.4), from three (35.9) and at the line (75.6).

It wasn't enough.

The Lakers went just 33-49. It was the worst record of James' career.

Those losses weren't all on him, obviously, but for a player of this caliber, everything is sort of all on him. He's running out of time to increase his championship count (four so far), and it ultimately falls on his shoulders to make sense of this makeshift roster.

Russell Westbrook

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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 5: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on April 5, 2022 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

For reasons known only to them, the Lakers paid a fortune to land Russell Westbrook last summer. The transaction thinned out their rotation with Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell all traded away in the exchange, along with a first-round pick.

One year later, L.A. has spent most of its summer weighing how much it would take to get someone to take Westbrook off its hands. One future first-round pick seemed doable, but the Lakers may have balked at giving up both future firsts they're allowed to trade away.

It feels more than likely that Westbrook and the Lakers will be stuck with one another during the 2022-23 season, and there's a non-zero chance the former MVP could be fighting for his career. His ball-dominant, inefficient style of play has quickly fallen out of favor, and his numbers have dropped farther than they've been in more than a decade.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham has plans to help Westbrook better fit with this team, but they essentially involve him playing differently than he has at any point of his 14-year career. The 33-year-old must prove he can adapt to a smaller, more complementary role to not only help the Lakers but ensure there's some type of interest when he hits free agency next summer.