The Los Angeles Lakers have had a very quiet and therefore disappointing offseason, at least so far. They haven’t brought in any players from other teams, and in fact, they have lost two players from last season’s team in forward Taurean Prince and guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
As a result, fans not only feel the Lakers will be lucky to make the playoffs this coming season but that their roster may actually be weaker than it was a few months ago.
But the fact remains that they still have one of the best, if not the best, superstar duos in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James and Davis have played impressive ball for Team USA as it prepares for the Summer Olympics, and it has been a reminder that L.A. still has a fantastic foundation.
Free agent guard Austin Rivers has been watching Team USA’s exhibition games, and he feels the Lakers aren’t exactly far off from returning to championship contention (h/t Lakers Daily).
When you watch USA basketball and realize the two most dynamic players thus far are two Lakers players…you realize they’re not far behind in competing for a chip. That window can’t be closed considering I’m watching them be the best on the BEST team in the world…🤷♂️ thoughts? pic.twitter.com/PMWb3rDowm
— Austin Rivers (@AustinRivers25) July 22, 2024
“I’m watchin’ this USA Basketball, right, and I’ve been watchin’ all their games close, and it doesn’t take a trained eye to notice who have been the two best players, the most impactful, on USA Basketball,” he said. “Granted, K.D. (Kevin Durant) has not played, so I’ll take that into account, but, so far, the two best players are two Lakers players: LeBron James and Anthony Davis, right?
“So, when you start thinkin’ about that, I’m sittin’ here watchin’ this game, thinkin’, ‘Why are the Lakers so far away — or why does it feel that way?’ And I guess J.J. Redick is right. They asked him, ‘How far away are you?’ He said, ‘We’re not far. We are a piece or two away from competing.’ Maybe he is the piece. They got the new coach, they got new staff, etc…
“All I’ve heard this past year is how the door for LeBron James and winning championships in Los Angeles is closed, and the more I watch USA Basketball, I just can’t disagree any more.”
The Lakers’ roster deficiencies, in no particular order, are a legitimate defensive-minded center, a 3-and-D wing and some sort of upgrade as far as a ball-handling guard. It is hoped that rookie Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in last month’s draft, will help replace Prince’s dead-eye 3-point shooting while also providing some scoring off the dribble.
It is important to remember that there are about two months to go before training camp and that major trades have been made late in recent offseasons. Last summer, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday weren’t traded until late September and the first day of October, respectively, and in 2022, Donovan Mitchell wasn’t sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers until early September.