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The LA Lakers are hoping to put together a bounceback season after a series of moves during the offseason. However, some analysts are not convinced that the team is going to be strong enough. On "Hoops Tonight," analyst Jason Timpf expressed caution about the current roster:
“I don’t need to see any basketball to know that’s not good enough, neither does LeBron James, neither should (general manager) Rob Pelinka. ... They need drastic moves now or this team is going to be a play-in team.”
After a disappointing 33-49 season, the Lakers should be eager to have a better showing and make a playoff push.
Last season, the Lakers had aspirations of contending for a championship. The team was aggressive in the offseason, sending multiple players to the Washington Wizards in exchange for star guard Russell Westbrook. But that plan turned out to be a disappointment, as Westbrook saw a rapid decline in his play.
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LeBron James and the LA Lakers hope to bounce back in 2022-23
The LA Lakers will be one of the most fascinating storylines to monitor in the opening months of the 2022-23 season. While the team is still hoping to upgrade its roster, the Lakers don't have enough future draft capital to entice teams in the trade market. While Russell Westbrook has been thrown around as a potential trade piece, his contract and performance last year have made things difficult.
Westbrook recently just opted into his player option for the upcoming season. That option is currently slated to pay him more than $47 million for the year. With a lack of future draft picks, the Lakers are going to have to get creative if they want to add to their roster.
The Lakers will also have the looming free agency of forward LeBron James on their plate.
Although James will turn 38 in late December, he's still capable of being dominant on the court. Last season, LeBron averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4%.
James is trying to maximize the twilight years of his career. No one knows how many great seasons he has left. This season, he'll become the ninth player to play at least 20 NBA seasons. Unlike some of those players, he does have the advantage of coming to the league straight from high school.
