No quick fix for Lakers’ dire lack of athleticism
Austin Reaves is tricky to trade
I asked David Thorpe if the Lakers are contenders. He said:
There would have to be a calamitous injury to at least four teams. Yeah, so the Thunder probably are better without Shai, but it’ll be a hell of a series. Yeah, the Nuggets are better but probably not if they’re missing either Jokic or Murray. The Lakers could probably beat the Rockets if Houston were missing Sengun, and perhaps if they were missing Thompson or Durant. The Lakers are in the next group. If everyone is healthy, I could see the Lakers beating the Spurs, because experience really does matter.
Vegas likes the Lakers a lot more than BPI, but for the record, BPI says the Lakers are 11th in line to the throne, with a six-tenths-of-one-percent chance of winning it all this season.
Which means it’s reasonable to think about what has to change.
