With all the roster changes the Los Angeles Lakers have made this summer, how they will play and perform on the court once the new NBA season starts is anyone's guess.
The consensus seems to be that they will be at least a little worse than they were last season, when they went 53-29, finished fourth in the Western Conference and made it to the second round of the playoffs. ESPN picked L.A. to finish sixth in the West with a 45-37 record this coming season in a recent prediction article.
The Athletic seems to be a big more bullish about the Purple and Gold. In its latest NBA power rankings, it had the team at No. 8, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.
"[Austin] Reaves was re-signed, so he and Luka Dončić will
indisputably lead the offense," Law Murray wrote. "[Walker] Kessler replaces [Deandre] Ayton, giving the Lakers a big three that will need to prove its durability. The Lakers should be strong in the regular season as long as Dončić, Reaves and Kessler are available."
But Murray noted a big concern about the Lakers.
"The floor, if any of those three misses multiple weeks, is a major concern.
"[Kevon] Looney replaces [Jaxson] Hayes as the backup center, which should improve the offensive rebounding, though it’s hard to imagine Looney holding up in extended minutes."
Kessler has been a bit injury-prone in his four pro seasons, although a lot of that may have been related to a lingering labrum injury and the Utah Jazz's alleged attempts at tanking. He underwent shoulder surgery early last season, which limited him to five games, and that labrum injury, which he had initially suffered in college, appears to be in the past tense.
Still, the backup center spot is a bit of a concern, especially since Looney is thought to be over the hill after appearing in just 21 games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season. Mamukelashvili is expected to get some minutes at the 5, although it remains to be seen how effective he will be at that position, especially on the defensive end.
But other than the center position, the Lakers seem to be a deeper and more balanced team than they were last season, at least on paper. As long as they stay healthy enough, they could have more stability and suffer fewer listless blowouts, especially since they're younger and a bit more athletic now.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: The Athletic gives the Lakers some love in its latest power rankings
