Lakers insider shares 5 reasons why they will outperform win projection totals
The LA Lakers haven't made any massive splashes this summer. Their free agency targets weren't acquired, and this saw the sportsbooks project them to win an estimated 43.5-44.5 games this upcoming season. This had Lakers insider and The Athletic's Purple and Gold beat writer Jovan Buha weigh in on why LA would do better than the projection totals.
In his latest episode of "Buha's Block," the analyst shed light on five reasons suggesting more optimism for a team in the title category. He stated the Lakers coaching hire as one of the first reasons.
JJ Redick replaced Darvin Ham as the 29th head coach of the Lakers earlier this year. Buha stated the advantage the former sharpshooter had was the knowledge of what went wrong the past season, and how he could make the change.
Structured and organized offense, institutional knowledge, and his experienced coaching staff in Lindsey Harding, Nate McMillan, Scott Brooks, Greg St. Jean, and Bob Beyers come in with enough to help LA.
Buha also sheds light on the health of some of the key players who missed games last season. The biggest name was Jarred Vanderbilt who was a lockdown defensive presence the side missed on the floor. Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent were the other names along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis who have also been in the IRL.
The question was whether their star duo could replicate their health from last season and stay healthy for at least 60 games. However, the insider believed that the health of the rotational players would increase the depth of the team.
Internal improvement, trade possibilities other key reasons behind LA Lakers vaulting projected numbers
Internal improvement was the third factor as the Lakers were bringing back a team with Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie exiting. They were replaced by rookies Bronny James and Dalton Knecht.
The chemistry and continuity were looked at as reasons why LA would have an improved record. Buha added that the young names in Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Max Christie would improve based on age and experience. He felt the likes of D'Angelo Russell, Reaves, and Hachimura could be better versions of what they were last season.
Last year's final few games of the season saw LA go 22-10 after inserting Hachimura in the starting five. Buha felt that the coaching decision to bring the forward back to the lineup added more teeth to the side and these decisions along with playoff finishes in the last two editions would keep the locker room optimistic about their chances.
The final component was upcoming trades. While the Lakers are yet to make any substantial moves, Buha felt that there would be some movement in the future. LA still has two first-round picks, and has some pieces in Knecht and Christie. Russell, Hachimura, and the Vando contracts are what they have in their war chest.
Only time will tell if the Lakers can manage to have a healthy run this season. On paper, they are far from championship contenders, but a side with a healthy James and Davis cannot be ruled out at any point.