Lakers' Complete 2023-24 Season Preview and Predictions
Things feel much differently around the Los Angeles Lakers than they did a year ago.
Back then, they had a roster that appeared perhaps broken beyond repair. However, a busy NBA trade deadline helped correct a lot of those issues, and the franchise seemingly took further steps in the right direction this summer.
The formula they found late last season feels sound and sustainable. They won 18 of their final 27 games, then turned a play-in tournament invite into consecutive playoff series victories.
The Lakers, who had a single playoff trip and no series wins to show for the two previous seasons, have forced their way into the top tier of title contenders. This could be a special season in Hollywood.
Offseason Recap
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The overarching theme of L.A.'s offseason was one of talent retention and continuity.
The Lakers spent their most money in-house. They reached a historic contract extension with Anthony Davis and found the funds to bring Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell in free agency.
That alone would've made this a successful summer, but L.A. went a few steps further by bringing in external talent. Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish all joined the club in free agency.
Before that, the team invested the No. 17 pick in combo guard Jalen Hood-Schifino. He faces an uphill climb to log any sort of meaningful minutes at the NBA level this season, but he has made a strong impression already at training camp.
Biggest Question
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This spot could easily go toward something like the ticking clock tied to 38-year-old LeBron James or Anthony Davis' struggles to stay healthy. But every team would be torpedoed if its star went down, so that feels like a cop-out choice.
Assuming good health for the Lakers, what could really decide this season's fate is the level of improvements that Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura can make.
L.A. sees stardom in Reaves, but can he hit an even higher level than the one he reached late last season? If he's better than he was down the stretch (18 points per game on 56.8/44/85.6 shooting, 5.7 assists against 2.0 turnovers), this club could be unstoppable.
The Lakers could see nearly the same impact from Hachimura recapturing the high-end form he flashed in the postseason. He is established as a highly skilled inside-the-arc scorer, but he is a lot more interesting—and way more helpful—if he's burying long-range looks and utilizing his defensive versatility like he was in the postseason.
Prediction
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It's too early to label any one team as the title favorite, and if forced to choose one, most folks who aren't members of Lakers Nation would likely choose someone else.
That isn't a knock on L.A., but it faces a few more possible roadblocks than other inner circle contenders. The availability of James and Davis is not at all a given. Neither is another leap year for Reaves. The offensive spacing could get a little tight if Vincent and Hachimura can't recreate whatever worked for them in the playoffs.
And yet, it's impossible to rule out a title run for this team. James and Davis have led a championship charge before, and they didn't have as much scoring help then as they should now.
If James stays on the court, Davis rediscovers his three-point shot, Reaves keeps trending up and the supporting cast looks as good (or better) in practice as it does on paper, L.A. can be the last team standing next June.
