Lakers' Frank Vogel Says LA Has 1 of Deepest NBA Teams in 'Recent Memory'

The Los Angeles Lakers have a giant target on their backs as the defending NBA champions. But head coach Frank Vogel believes his team has the depth to be in the running for another title this season. 

"We have one of the deepest teams in the league, and really in recent memory," he told reporters. "[But] I think everybody is aligned. Our team has one goal and that's to win a championship. However our guys are able to fit in to accomplish that goal, that's what they're gonna do."

The Lakers had an excellent offseason, trading for guard Dennis Schroder, signing Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell and Wesley Matthews in free agency and re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Markieff Morris.

Add in superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis re-upping on long-term deals and solid role players in Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker still on the roster, and the Lakers have one of the deepest teams in the NBA. 

Their Los Angeles neighbors, arguably their biggest threat in the West, didn't rest on their laurels either, with a new head coach (Tyronn Lue) and some excellent additions as well (Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard, Nicolas Batum) to go with superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and a supporting cast that includes Lou Williams, Marcus Morris, Patrick Beverley, Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac. 

Those matchups will come, and will be highly anticipated. For now, the Lakers are preparing for the regular season. Vogel told reporters that he was happy with how the team has played in its first two preseason games:

"I do feel like we played with great effort. And the effort piece has to be part of our identity. It's a habit you build throughout the regular season that becomes second nature and instinctual in the playoffs. We competed at a high level in those playoff games as a result of that habit that we built in the regular season. And so that will be the intent again this year, and I do feel like we played with great effort in the first two preseason games."

The Lakers won last season's title behind the brilliance of James and Davis, an excellent defense and what appeared to be a very tight-knit group of players who were hungry to win a title. They'll have a slightly different look this season, but Vogel, the Lakers and the team's fans are expecting the same result.