It’s no query that the Lakers made a large gamble this summer time.
Gone is not just LeBron James, but the whole beginning 5 for most of the crew’s sequence against the Rockets, which they won in six video games. In are not just a lot of contemporary faces, but a lot of surprising names.
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The Lakers recognized gamers who can match around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and within head coach JJ Redick’s system. The Lakers have a high flooring because of their famous person, but it’s still a dangerous proposition.
But so dangerous that they’re set up to be the most disappointing crew in the league?
That’s where ESPN has them in their preseason predictions. As half of their preseason predictions, ESPN’s NBA reporters voted on numerous superlatives, including one titled “Disappointing teams: Which team will take a tumble this season?” The Lakers topped those standings.
Los Angeles Lakers: 32 factors
Detroit Pistons: 27 factors
Golden State Warriors: 26 factors
Boston Celtics: 17 factors
This actually just feels like a clickbait class, and I guess they got their clicks here. But the query is what are we actually rating here? Because if it’s merely who is going to take a tumble, not mentioning either the Hornets or Clippers, two groups who traded away their superstars after being in the play-in last yr, is loopy work.
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Given the groups listed, though, it feels more like a vote on who will be disappointing, which feels both foolish and apropo with ESPN’s other predictions this summer time, too. Earlier in the week, they projected the Lakers to end with a 45-37 document this yr, an eight-win drop from last season. Perhaps they’re just doubling down on their prediction.
You can level all around at who else should be thought of a crew to take a tumble, but actually, the Lakers are the crew everyone loves to predict to be worse than they will be, notably in the last few years. Summers have been full of listening to how they won’t even be the best crew in LA only for everyone to begrudgingly acknowledge that the Lakers are good but not that good.
The only distinction this yr is no one is pretending the Clippers will be good. Outside of that, we’ll see the same sample and can revisit this in February or March to level and snicker.
You can comply with Jacob on Twitter at @JacobImpoliteor on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
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