The Los Angeles Lakers had been through a great offseason. They did exactly what they set out to do. Moreover, the LA side had the main intention to keep the core together. The main reason for that was the unbelievable turnaround last season. Needless to say, the LA side has very little or no lack of depth on their roster.
Hence, the fans and experts have the logic to call the Lakers a favorite to win the title next year. Moreover, the Lakers Faithful were glad to have LeBron James back after a retirement scare in the offseason. But the King is ready to rock in the 2023-24 season, which will also be his 21st season. But one thing that sure raises concern for the Lakers is its defense.
Lakers Might Have A Fatal Flaw In Their Defense
The LA side will need Rui Hachimura to provide quality support to Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis in the defense. If they get to work things out, then the Lakers can again dominate the season as the best defensive side of the league like they were in the previous season. However, the Lakers are paying a lot of attention to their offense at present. They were the sixth-best offense last season. Anthony Davis was the spearhead of the Lakers attack.
On the other hand, AD was the anchor of the LA side’s defense, and Jarred Vanderbilt was his quality support. Then, the 17-time champions extended the contracts of Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis for long terms. But the Lakers might want to increase the number in the defense. Otherwise, it might get too risky for Darvin Ham’s side. Last season, they gave up 117 per contest. Hence, the Laker’s defense sure needs more work.
A Former Golden State’s Player Will Join The LA Side
After having a great offseason of signing and resigning players, the Lakers will add another member to their roster. Quinndary Weatherspoon last played for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA during the 2021-22 season. In 11 games, he averaged only 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Lately, on TNT, NBA’s Chris Haynes announced that Quinndary is signing a contract with the 17-time champions. Weatherspoon also played for the Israeli club Maccabee Ra’anana. Anyway, the 17-time champions were in deep trouble around halfway in the 2022-23 season. In fact, they were lingering at the bottom of the Western Conference. But the trade exchanges, right before the February trade deadline, changed the course of action for the LA franchise.
Players like D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and so on brought a new culture into the Lakers locker room. Moreover, with the leadership of Anthony Davis, the newly balanced Lakers were able to march on to the playoffs. Hence, the LA side had no intention to get back to the previous situation where there was a lack of balance and depth. That’s why they retained Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell as their first priority. Moreover, the promising talent of Max Christie is back on their roster, too. On top of that, the Lakers added tremendous talents like Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat and other players like Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish.