Is it possible to be overhyped and underrated?
That’s what the Los Angeles Lakers are proving this offseason.
While all the talk has been Luka Doncic showing off his new bod and LeBron James’ ongoing series of cryptic messages about his future, the Lakers have put together a team that is a lot closer to a title contender than pundits, fans and the market seem to think.
Here’s why the Lakers are so underrated headed into 2025-26.
The Lakers were already a top-level team
The Lakers finished third in the Western Conference last season, despite the constant conversation about how brutal the West is. They secured 50 wins and won their division over the 50-win Clippers and the Warriors.
Yes, much of that came with Anthony Davis before The Trade, but remember that the Lakers went 18-10 with Luka Doncic in the lineup. LA went 19-13 against teams with a top-10 point differential, per Cleaning The Glass, including an incredible 12-4 after the trade for Doncic.
JJ Redick has installed a fundamentally better system, James is still at an elite level more nights than not and Doncic is just, honestly, that good.
The offseason upgrades matter
When the Lakers’ only major offseason additions were Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia, it’s easy to say they added more name power than actual impact. But it’s better to think of what those players are than who they are.
For example, don’t think of the addition of Ayton as adding the former No.1 overall pick who was shipped out from Phoenix and then waived two seasons later by the Blazers. Think of it as simply “the Lakers added an elite pick-and-roll big next to Doncic.”
Ayton scored the sixth-most points per game as the roll man in pick-and-roll last season, via Synergy Sports. He’s an elite lob threat, a big body who can set a screen and navigate space, with fewer major injury concerns than most bigs of his size and miles logged.
Don’t think of Marcus Smart as adding a former DPOY who was suspiciously dumped to the Grizzlies before being dumped again to the Wizards. Think of it as adding a top-level defensive wing. Even with Doncic’s more visible set of abs, you’re going to need great defense to cover for him, especially next to Austin Reaves.
In limited minutes in only 34 games last season, Smart ranked 12th in defensive EPM via DunksAndThrees.com, after being 19th in 2024. He’s still a highly disruptive defender who can switch 1-5 and whose communication and smarts will help the rest of the team cover for their weaknesses.
Don’t think of LaRavia as a bit bench player on Memphis who bounced around last season. Think of him as a spot-up weapon. LaRavia had a 68% eFG on catch-and-shoot 3s last season, via Synergy Sports, the eighth-best in the league. Ty Jerome and Zach LaVine were nintth and 10th, respectively (on a higher volume, of course). LaRavia is also a smart, athletic cutter who will work well around Doncic and Reaves without getting in the way.
The “branding” of the Lakers’ offseason moves are overhyped, but the actual value they’ll bring in terms of working around a Luka Doncic-led team is underrated.
An actual 10-man rotation
Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt.
That’s 10 NBA-caliber, multi-year rotation players before we get to the potential growth of Dalton Knecht, Bronny James or rookie Adou Thiero. That’s excluding anything they get from Jaxson Hayes (which might not be much given Redick’s apparent trust in him.)
Famously in the playoffs last year, Redick felt forced to run the same five-man lineup for an entire half vs. the Wolves. There are more and better options this year.
The playoff loss wasn't as bad as it looked
The Lakers had chances in their first-round loss to the Wolves. Minnesota is a battle-tested, veteran team that went to back-to-back Conference Finals and had the size and shooting advantage to overwhelm Los Angeles.
But Game 4 in particular was a brutally tough loss down the stretch. Had the Lakers won that game, it would have been 2-2 headed back to L.A., and the tone of the series would have shifted. Coulda/woulda/shoulda, but the Lakers weren’t outclassed by the Wolves even in a gentleman’s sweep. They just got beat, but they’re better this year.
Overhyped but underrated
The Lakers are 15-1 to win the NBA title, and their win total is only at 47.5 in the betting markets. That’s too low a figure for a team that added the talent they did and still has the one-man army that is Luka Doncic alongside a still very much LeBron LeBron James.
With more experience and a deeper roster for Redick, better continuity and talent, don’t be surprised if the Lakers wind up deserving of the exorbitant amount of attention they get on TV and social media.