The past season is one of the worst seasons in the Los Angeles Lakers’ history experienced by the team. Injuries were a major factor in their inability to enter the playoffs, and their summer moves did not work.
The Lakers have been looking for a trade partner for Russell Westbrook all off-season, but they haven’t been successful in finding one. They’ve made the decision to try this experiment once more with a different head coach. However, we have already seen how this story ends, and the Lakers cannot afford a recurrence of the previous year. When we look at the Lakers’ predictions for 2023, will they finally get it or will they suffer the same fate?
2022–2023 Lakers season predictions
The Lakers missed the play-in tournament last year because they finished in the 11th slot in the Western Conference. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are two of the NBA’s top players. And only a few seasons ago, they won the league championship. It will be fascinating to see how the Lakers’ good summer acquisitions fit into this group of players. Let’s examine the Lakers’ season forecasts for 2022–23 as the first game approaches quickly.
Westbrook will improve after having a bad season.
With the anticipation of winning a championship, Westbrook joined the Lakers. The Lakers, who many pundits considered to be the favorites, added another all-star to the mix as they were just a year away from being the finest basketball team. But Westbrook drastically underperformed, so it seems like the decision didn’t work out. His performance fell in every category, and he just wasn’t the right fit for the squad. He bore the bulk of the responsibility for the Lakers’ shortcomings. Westbrook appears to be enjoying basketball again now that a new coach has taken over. Darvin Ham emphasized that he is eager to coach Westbrook and that he will demand everyone make sacrifices. Westbrook appears to have paid attention to his coach and modified his strategy. He has been effective and aware of his responsibilities in the first few preseason games. He will rebound strongly from a disappointing season.
Anthony Davis will show why he is one of the NBA’s top five talents.
Anthony Davis was one of the Lakers’ top targets when they triumphed in 2020. He was a 7-foot center who was acting like a guard because of his actions. He also won his first championship while having his greatest season to date. Two years later, Davis has evolved into a person who is simply unreliable. His performance has significantly declined since winning the title, and he has missed more than half of the games during the past two years. His statistics have also decreased, and his shooting percentages have significantly decreased.
AD is now entering the season with a significant chip on his shoulder and is already showing promise. By the end of the year, Davis, who was one of the top five players in the league in 2020, will restore his position. The Unibrow will lead the Lakers far into the playoffs, so anticipate a season worthy of the MVP award.
LeBron James is on the brink of another historic year
Even without considering the Lakers’ record, LeBron had a remarkable year. In NBA history, there has never been a player who was among the greatest in his 19th season. The King was among the top scorers in the league and had one of his best scoring seasons. He was by far the best Lakers player, and for the entire season, he had to carry an additional burden. Because of Davis’ injury and Westbrook’s patchy performance, the Lakers occasionally had no other choice except to use him. Due to the loss of his preferred lob target for half of the season, his assists last season decreased.
LeBron might have won another MVP award if the Lakers had finished with a better record. LeBron also swore never to do it again after missing the playoffs for just the fourth time in his career. The King will have another great season; he has been looking as sharp as ever in the preseason. He has embraced the new Ham system and gotten along well with his new colleagues. From the start, LeBron will be a top contender for MVP.
The Lakers will be one of the West’s top six teams.
The Lakers are sure to become better after a dismal season. The Los Angeles Lakers finished the previous season with a record of 33-49 and missed the play-in round. The Lakers are playing exceptionally well in the preseason and seem driven and eager. Their recent additions appeared to be making an impression right away and blending in well with the stars. According to Vegas, the Lakers will improve by 10 games from the previous season. However, the Lakers’ NBA victory totals will undoubtedly be substantially greater if AD and LeBron stay healthy the entire season. Actually, I think the Lakers will finish as one of the top six teams in the competitive Western Conference.
Predicted Lakers record: 50-32
The Lakers will advance to the conference championship
This opinion may be bold, but I think LeBron and AD are the league’s top two players when they are both healthy. This year, Westbrook and the other players will contribute, but these two superstars are the two key cornerstones. And as we have seen throughout the years, a LeBron team always has a shot to win regardless of the seed they finish with. In a playoff series, there is no one I would choose to have above The King. And despite the fact that the chances are against them, the Lakers will reach the Conference Finals this year.