"We have three future Hall of Famers, we're gonna outscore everybody and win" - Mark Jackson asserts the LA Lakers are still a championship team
The LA Lakers and LeBron James didn't have a successful season. They won only 33 games, missing the playoffs only two years after winning a championship.
It's no secret that James wants to win it all, and that is why the Lakers will have to improve their roster this summer. They have been linked to several big-name players, such as Kyrie Irving, but haven't made any big moves yet.
But Mark Jackson, the former NBA coach, believes the Lakers could win it all next year, even with the current roster. When asked what the Lakers' ceiling would be next season, he said:
"Healthy, they can win a championship," Jackson said. "If they are healthy and they compete on the defensive end, night in and night out."
The LA Lakers were the third-worst defensive team in the league last season. They allowed their opponents to score 115.1 points per game, which was more than 10 points behind the league leader.
This is one aspect of the game the Lakers will have to drastically improve next year. New coach Darvin Ham said was going to work on the defense.
.@MarkJackson13 on the Lakers' ceiling:
"Healthy, they can win a championship." 👀 https://t.co/oQbHfyX84j
Mark Jackson clarified that the Lakers cannot simply rely on LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis to outscore their opponents and win games.
"Because we have three future Hall of Famers, we're gonna outscore everybody and win. It doesn't happen that way," Jackson said. "They have to develop the right habits that they didn't have last year and get back to defending and get healthy. They have to stay healthy, and once they do, they got a chance against anybody."
That was their approach last season, and they failed miserably. The Lakers ended up having one of the worst seasons in franchise history, so something will have to change.
Health could be a big issue again for the LA Lakers
The Lakers had no players who appeared in all 82 games last season. Westbrook led the team with 78 appearances, Malik Monk was second with 76, while Carmelo Anthony appeared in 69 games. No other player played more than 62.
Their two best players, James and Davis, missed 68 games combined, which was simply too much.
Lakers' LeBron James Says He's '100% Healthy' After Injury-Riddled 2021-22 Season dlvr.it/SV39vq https://t.co/9R1ig3pYjP
James has missed 84 games for the Lakers in four seasons, which may be concerning. This comes down to an average of 21 missed games per season, which is unusual for the four-time NBA champion.
Before he joined the Lakers, James had missed 71 games in 15 years, which is less than five games per season.
The Lakers will have to stay healthy if they want to compete next season. The West will be incredibly difficult to beat, and the East has many amazing teams now as well.