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With the 2021-22 NBA season-opener only a few days away, the LA Lakers have been touted as one of the favorites to go all the way. Boasting the second-best odds behind the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers are in such a position for a reason.
After one of the most active offseasons in franchise history, the LA Lakers have assembled a squad for the ages, featuring six potential Hall of Famers. The Lakers have one of the most stacked rosters in the league. They have one of the oldest rosters in the NBA, but the talent pool in the team is truly unmatched.
In an extensive roster overhaul, the LA Lakers barely retained any members from the previous season except LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That raised some questions regarding their chemistry, something that was apparent in the preseason.
The Purple and Gold will look to enter the 2021-22 regular season after a winless preseason. In six preseason games, the Lakers exhibited inconsistencies in shooting, defense and playmaking, concerns they need to address quickly.
On that note, here are the top five talking points from the LA Lakers' 2021-22 NBA preseason:
#5 LA Lakers' two-bigs lineup
One of the biggest moves the LA Lakers made in the offseason was returning to the possibility of two big men in the rotation who could play center.
While the Lakers saw great minutes from Marc Gasol last season, they did not enjoy the same success they had in their preceding championship-winning season. The Lakers acquired Andre Drummond late last season in an attempt to return to championship form, but the experiment proved to be a failure.
In the 2021 offseason, the LA Lakers changed their big-man rotation by getting rid of both Gasol and Drummond, and replacing them with Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan.
With two athletic big men who can be lob threats and rim protectors, the Lakers are looking to replicate their lineup from the 2019-20 season. Howard was a part of the Lakers' Championship-winning team in 2020. His utility to the team was apparent in the 2021 preseason as well when he rejoined the side.
Jordan, meanwhile, has struggled to find his feet set with the Lakers, but there is enough evidence to suggest he should improve as the season progresses.
The Purple and Gold will always run with Anthony Davis playing 5 in the death lineup. But the presence of another 5 to support Davis does a lot more to ensure success for the superstar and the team.
#4 Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves has been nothing short of a surprise for the LA Lakers. The 23-year-old impressed in the Las Vegas Summer League, which earned him a two-way contract with the Lakers. Reaves has emerged as a legitimate contributor in the preseason.
Armed with a polished offensive arsenal and high IQ, Reaves has already won LeBron James' seal of approval. His ability to shoot the long ball and run the floor is complemented by his playmaking prowess. Reaves continues to show a great upside, displaying great hands on the defensive end and serious hustle to secure loose balls.
Following Talen Horton-Tucker's unfortunate injury, Reaves rose to the occasion and embraced his role. As he earns more minutes with the team, he could step up and play at the next level, filling in for the players who left the Lakers in the offseason.
As Reaves continues to get comfortable with his shot and role with the side, he holds a lot of promise in terms of what he could offer. He is definitely a player that Lakers fans should keep an eye on heading into the 2021-22 season.
#3 Continued shooting woes
One of the biggest setbacks for the LA Lakers in the 2020-21 season was their shooting from the outside. Shooting a miserable 35.4% from beyond the arc, the Lakers struggled to keep up with the style of play suited to the modern NBA.
In the 2021 offseason, the Lakers attempted to address their shooting woes by adding solid three-point threats. With talented shooters such as Wayne Ellington, Malik Monk and Kent Bazemore, the Lakers have added some firepower to their ranks.
However, the preseason saw some of their shooting woes left unaddressed. Malik Monk emerged as a legitimate threat, shooting 47.1% from the three-point territory in the three games he played. Austin Reaves also shot well from behind the arc at 42.9%. However, the rest of the team continued to underwhelm.
With a 34.3% shooting average from beyond the arc during the preseason, the LA Lakers have a lot to work on. Whether this trend will change as the LA Lakers' offensive schemes start to fall into place remains to be seen, though.
The reality of the situation is that the Lakers may not enjoy as much success from behind the arc as they initially expected.
#2 Anthony Davis needs to be aggressive
A big topic of discussion heading into the 2021-22 season was the expectations from Anthony Davis to perform this season. As a crucial piece of the LA Lakers, Davis will be asked to contribute to the team at both ends of the floor.
As a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and one of the most skilled big men in the game, Davis has to carry a significant load for the Lakers. Having missed a large part of the 2020-21 season due to injury, Davis came into the season looking to establish himself as a dominant big man in the league.
However, that was not apparent during the offseason. Davis strayed around the mid-range instead of dominating on the low block. As he continues to struggle with his mid-range shot, his misses could stagnate the Lakers' offensive runs.
The inconsistency in Davis' playing intensity affected his defensive performance as well. Although Davis put up the numbers to showcase his proficiency, watching him play was a different proposition. An average of 14.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for an All-Star is not going to cut it.
His intensity at both ends of the floor will likely determine how well the LA Lakers perform during the 2021-22 season. As the future of the franchise, Davis has to bring his A-game to the fore every night.
#1 Developing chemistry in the LA Lakers' Big Three
![The LA Lakers' new Big Three, nicknamed 3-6-0. [Source: The Sportsrush]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/24fd6-16342789331883-1920.jpg)
With the addition of Russell Westbrook to the side, it became more or less understood that the LA Lakers were going to be a running team. With Westbrook running the offense at a blistering pace, building chemistry between players who would know their positions and the timing of drop passes would be key.
LeBron James served as the primary point guard for the Purple and Gold. Making the transition to playing off the ball may take some time longer, though. However, there is definite progress in building on-court chemistry.
While Westbrook struggled on his debut with the Lakers, he is slowly finding his feet as the team is beginning to adjust to him. James and Westbrook exhibited great communication and chemistry on fast breaks.
Although Davis and Westbrook struggled initially, the loss against the Sacramento Kings had moments where the two appeared to be on the same page. The partnership showed signs of potential and provided a glimpse of how well the team could come together around the core of the Big Three.
While Westbrook is still turnover-prone and tends to throw stray passes, the LA Lakers will look to continue adjusting to their newly acquired superstar.
It remains to be seen when the Purple and Gold would hit their stride this season. However, considering all the tools at their disposal, if all the pieces in their roster begin to click, the Lakers will fancy their chances of an 18th NBA title in the 2021-22 campaign.
