Previewing the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers

September 20^th, 2022

The Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back from a bad 2021-22 season to try to get to the playoffs in 2023.
(Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images, via SB Nation’s Silver Screen & Roll)

The Los Angeles Lakers swung a surprise trade with Washington to get Russell Westbrook last year, but they dealt numerous role players, some of whom played an integral role on their 2020 championship team to get him. The move didn’t pan out for the Lakers last year, as they wound up missing the playoffs.

This year, they swung a major trade to land Patrick Beverley in a move to greatly bolster their defense. The Lakers will need their team to stay healthy and to shoot and defend better than last year, but at least there is now cautious optimism that they could make the playoffs this season.

Star Players:

F LeBron James and F-C Anthony Davis

LeBron James is one of the best players both in the game right now and all-time. He is a tremendous scorer and all-around player when healthy, and he does everything very well on the court. The problem is he hasn’t been fully healthy in the past two seasons, and he’s played just 101 games in the last two years. If he can stay healthy, he will have a strong year, and will then probably lead his team back to the playoffs.

Anthony Davis had a tremendous 2020 season when his team won the NBA championship, and he was the backbone of their team’s defense that also showed superstar scoring and playmaking skills back then. Since then, Davis has struggled with his outside shot, and he also has had trouble staying healthy.

To emphasize and drive home the point, Davis has played just 76 games in the last two NBA seasons. Before, his skeptics used to say that he was too skinny. Now, there are concerns that he’s gotten too big too quickly, and that his body may be breaking down as a result. If Davis can stay healthy, he can help lead the Lakers back to the postseason, but that’s a big and major if.

Additions:

G Patrick Beverley, G Lonnie Walker IV, G Dennis Schröder, C Thomas Bryant, C Damian Jones, G-F Juan Toscano-Anderson, G-F Troy Brown Jr., and G-F Max Christie

The Lakers made a lot of moves in the offseason, but their biggest move this year was to acquire Pat Beverley from the Utah Jazz. This move strengthens their defense greatly, and they also get a highly competitive, intense player that will bring a very high effort level at all times, which is something they sorely need.

As for their other moves, they added a couple of big men, as well as players that can provide shooting and defense for their team off the bench. Also, Dennis Schröder had a tremendous showing at the 2022 EuroBasket, and he is a speedy playmaking point guard that can score and pass the basketball, and he will likely get plenty of playing time on the Lakers’ team for the upcoming season.

Subtractions:

G Malik Monk, F Carmelo Anthony, C Dwight Howard, G Wayne Ellington, G-F Talen Horton-Tucker, F Stanley Johnson, G D.J. Augustin, G Avery Bradley, and G-F Kent Bazemore

Not re-signing Malik Monk was a mild surprise, but the Lakers were able to sign Lonnie Walker to make back some of the shooting and scoring that Monk provided them last year. None of the other players that they lost were major losses, but they did lose some continuity and players that played a handful of minutes last year.

Rookies:

G-F Max Christie, G Scotty Pippen Jr., and F Cole Swider

Max Christie is a young, athletic swingman that projects into a 3 and D role at the NBA, and he’s shown potential to develop into a solid NBA defender, but he’s struggled to consistently shoot or score consistently both in college or in the Summer Leagues. He may not be ready to contribute right away, but he could be a significant contributor for the Lakers in the future.

Scotty Pippen Jr. is an agile, skilled point guard that can shoot and score the basketball, but he will need to show that he can reliably run the point and defend on the court. Cole Swider is a tall, skilled forward that can shoot the basketball, but there may not be a whole lot of playing time for any of the rookies this season, at least not right away.

Expected Rotation:

Projected Starting Lineup: