The Los Angeles Lakers had big plans in the offseason but had to settle for the acquisitions of point guard Jeremy Lin, power forward Carlos Boozer and big man Ed Davis, which has led many to believe the Lakers won’t look much different, at least record-wise, from the 25-57 squad they trotted out last year.
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Joel Brigham of Hoops Rumors believes the the Lakers will be more competitive than people think.
"Here’s the cold reality for the Lakers: Kobe Bryant makes a lot of money for a team that wasn’t very good a year ago, so currently Hollywood is not the free agency hotbed that it used to be. The Lakers also are not quite the team they used to be, but for those already writing them off completely: stop it. There are some decent ball players on this team, even if half of the roster is seemingly comprised of power forwards, and behind players like Kobe Bryant, Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer, they can be more competitive than many are giving them credit for. Nick Young, Jordan Hill, Ed Davis and Julius Randle all should be respectable role players, and if healthy, Bryant would definitely rather go out with a roar than with a whimper. They’re not competing for a championship, but they’ll be better than many expect."
Just getting players healthy should go a long way but making the playoffs seems like too much to ask. The Western Conference is absolutely loaded and the 48-34 Phoenix Suns missed out on the postseason last year. With the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans getting healthy, they could each contend for a postseason spot as well meaning it will likely be another long year for the Lakers.
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