Lakers Hot Takes 2 Months into 2023-24 NBA Season
As the Los Angeles Lakers approach the two-month mark of the 2023-24 NBA season, they have already learned plenty about this team.
So have we.
From a sky-high ceiling to one necessary step to get here, let's examine three hot takes to surface so far.
The Championship Blueprint Remains
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L.A.'s path to the first In-Season Tournament title felt entirely familiar. The Lakers leaned on a combination of superstar play from Anthony Davis and LeBron James plus smothering defense to handle any and everything put in their path.
It was, more or less, the same formula this franchise followed to a championship at the Orlando bubble in 2020.
Now, there's a difference between winning a handful of tournament games and surviving four consecutive rounds of postseason play, but at least L.A. knows the blueprint still works.
The Lakers may need to tweak things around their foundation (more on that in a minute), but star power plus suffocating defense can still equal championship bliss.
More Trades Are Needed
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The Davis-James duo gives L.A. one of the Association's top twosomes. The Lakers should aggressively work the trade market to keep building around that foundation.
Austin Reaves looks like a good enough third option on a team with two high-end stars like this. Filling out the other two spots is tough, though, as just about any other option forces L.A. to sacrifice either defense or shooting. The lone exception would be Rui Hachimura if he could consistently summon whatever worked for him in the last playoff run.
Still, this team could stand to upgrade its wing collection with scoring and shooting. They reportedly "want to see what they really have" before getting too aggressive in trade talks, per ESPN's Zach Lowe, but there's enough data on hand to spot some flaws with this roster.
The Lakers could have serious questions about D'Angelo Russell's ability to contribute in the postseason, and they shouldn't be surprised by their offensive issues thus far. This might be a talented roster, but it's still a work in progress and should be treated as such during trade season.
Austin Reaves May Have Another Leap Year in Him
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The Lakers saw stardom in Reaves and made a $56 million wager this summer on his ability to realize that potential. So, when he stumbled out of the gate this season, there may have been a few worries that perhaps he wasn't the player they thought he was.
If those concerns ever surfaced, though, they should've been alleviated by now. His move from the starting lineup to the second unit simplified some logistical issues for this squad and helped him find his footing.
Now, he's back to hooping at such a high level—19.3 points on 50/44/88.9 shooting over his last four outings entering Wednesday—that it's tempting to believe he's about to orchestrate a breakout season for the second consecutive campaign.
If he continues to improve his play by quality and quantity, L.A.'s issues with shooting and shot-creation would grow a lot easier to manage.
