Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Lakers didn’t execute a major shake-up of their roster this offseason, but they did make some notable additions.
They addressed their biggest issue at the center position by adding Deandre Ayton. He is expected to be L.A.‘s starting center, and with Jaxson Hayes re-signed, they
were able to improve without losing any depth at the position.
The Lakers also added two wings in Jaka LaRavia and Marcus Smart. LaRavia provides a youthful upside, along with some 3-point shooting, and Smart gives the Lakers a veteran defensive leader.
But is this enough for the Lakers to compete?
For this week’s SB Nation Reacts poll, we are asking Lakers fans what other weaknesses in the roster need to be addressed.
The Lakers certainly seem to want to have several bigs to choose from entering training camp. They just signed Kylor Kelly to an Exhibit-10 deal and also have Christian Koloko on a two-way contract.
However, neither player is likely to see much time with the Lakers. If Ayton doesn’t produce enough, the Lakers could find themselves in a similar situation to last year, with a lack of production at the five spot.
With Dorian Finney-Smith gone, can LaRavia and Smart be enough to replace his production?
The last couple of seasons indicate probably not. Smart has been plagued by injuries the last two years and LaRavia has yet to consistently prove he can be a rotation-level player for a contender.
With wings being so important in the modern NBA, this is a position the Lakers need to be great at. If the combo of LaRavia and Smart isn’t enough, they need to find some players who can produce.
While the Lakers’ backcourt of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves can certainly score, is there enough guard play on the bench to compete?
Bronny James is entering his second season, but still isn’t a polished player, and Gabe Vincent was mediocre last year, shooting 36% from 3-point range.
If these guards don’t improve from last year, perhaps whatever resources are available for the Lakers need to go to the guard spot.
The Lakers can have up to 20 players on their training camp roster before the start of the season, so we’ll see which additional players they bring in during the preseason.
Once we begin to see this roster in action, it’ll start becoming clearer where the weaknesses are and where resources need to go for improvement.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
