Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the Los Angeles Lakers – a team that will forever have high expectations regarding success.
Introduction
The Los Angeles Lakers are the most recognisable franchise in the NBA. Their continued success is unparalleled – recording 62 playoff appearances in 75 seasons. The city and their fans demand success, and often the Lakers do just that, bringing in the biggest stars to play on the biggest stage in basketball. Some of the legends that have worn the yellow and purple include Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant, in particular, was a staple in the Lakers line-up for 20 seasons. Drafted out of high school in 1996, he would form a lethal 1-2 punch with Shaq that would lead the Lakers to three straight championships, from 2000 to 2002. When Shaq left, the team rebuilt around Kobe, where he partnered with Pau Gasol to win two more championships – in 2009 and 2010.
The performances of the team towards the end of Kobe’s career left a lot to be desired, however. For the first time in franchise history, the Lakers would go through a team rebuild, relying on the draft to bring in young talent to form the next great Lakers dynasty. The team would go on to miss 6 consecutive playoff series, by far the longest playoff drought in franchise history. In those drafts, the team selected Julius Randle (7th overall, 2014 draft), D’Angelo Russell (2nd overall, 2015 draft), Brandon Ingram (2nd overall, 2016 draft) and Lonzo Ball (2nd overall, 2017 draft) with their early lottery selections.
The Lakers franchise has always had this knack of drawing big name free agents to join the team. It’s a combination of their pedigree, the warm climate and the desire to live in Hollywood and be next to the stars. So, it was no surprise that the Lakers were able to convince LeBron James to join the team during the summer of 2018. He would partner alongside the young Lakers core to just miss out on the playoffs in 2019. But, that’s the thing about the Lakers – they want success and will do anything to achieve it. The team went out and traded for superstar Anthony Davis, giving up Ingram, Ball, Josh Hart and a multitude of future 1st round picks.
The duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis clicked immediately. Combined with a squad full of experienced (ring chasing) veterans like Danny Green, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, and youngsters like Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso, the Lakers would defy the odds and win their 17th championship in the COVID bubble in 2020. LeBron James would cement his legacy as an all-time great, winning Finals MVP.
The following 2021 season would be a struggle for the reigning champion Lakers. The team had just over two months to rest and refocus their attention on the new season. LeBron and Davis would play 81 games combined, finishing as the 7th seed after getting through the play-in tournament. The Lakers lost their 1st round matchup against the Phoenix Suns, losing in 6 games.
Last Season
In an effort to get themselves back to the top of the Western Conference, the Lakers made a big splash in the trade market. The team traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and a 1st round pick to bring in former MVP, Russell Westbrook. In free agency, experienced veterans such as Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Dwight Howard came in to support this newly-formed big three.
For a team aspiring to be champions once again, the team struggled to get out of the blocks. By the midway point, the team were sitting 7th with a 21-20 record. The Lakers would go through a large stretch of the season without Anthony Davis, who missed 42 games for the season due to injury. Russell Westbrook struggled to co-exist alongside LeBron and Davis, while their veteran free agent pickups didn’t contribute as much as would’ve thought.
The Lakers would go on to win 12 more games for the season, struggling to keep players healthy and playing meaningful basketball together. The team went on an 8-game losing streak near the end of the season, dropping themselves to the 11th seed, and missing the play-in tournament. it was a nightmare year for the Lakers, who finished 22nd in offensive and 21st in defensive efficiency.
Off-Season
Ins:
Max Christie (35th pick, NBA draft)
Patrick Beverley (trade with Utah Jazz, originally with Minnesota Timberwolves)
Lonnie Walker IV (free agent, originally with San Antonio Spurs)
Damian Jones (free agent, originally with Sacramento Kings)
Juan Toscano-Anderson (free agent, originally with Golden State Warriors)
Thomas Bryant (free agent, originally with Washington Wizards)
Troy Brown Jr (free agent, originally with Chicago Bulls)
Dennis Schroder (free agent, originally with Houston Rockets)
Outs:
Talen Horton-Tucker (trade to Utah Jazz)
Stanley Johnson (trade to Utah Jazz)
Kent Bazemore (free agent, moved to Sacramento Kings)
Malik Monk (free agent, moved to Sacramento Kings)
Carmelo Anthony (free agent)
Dwight Howard (free agent)
Avery Bradley (free agent)
Wayne Ellington (free agent)
DJ Augustin (free agent)
The Lakers did a lot of swapping during their off-season. Originally without any draft picks, the team traded with the Orlando Magic for the 35th pick, selecting Max Christie. In free agency, the Lakers went out and brought in undervalued reserves to boost their depth, bringing in the likes of Lonnie Walker IV (1 yr/$6.5m), Damian Jones (2 yr/$4.9m), Juan Toscano-Anderson (1 yr/$1.9m), Thomas Bryant (1 yr/$2.1m), Troy Brown Jr (1 yr/$2.0m) and Dennis Schroder (1 yr/$2.6m). LeBron James signed a 2 yr/$97.1m max extension, while the team also acquired Patrick Beverley via trade.
In that Beverley trade, the Lakers gave up on the Talen Horton-Tucker development project, while also giving up Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz. They let many of their unrestricted free agents walk, including Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington and DJ Augustin. Two legends of the game, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, were also left unsigned, as rumours swell of their impending retirement.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – Russell Westbrook
| H: 6’3″ | W: 200lbs | Age: 33 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$47.1m | Years Pro: 14 |
Career Averages:
22.8 pts, 7.4 reb, 8.4 asts, 1.7 stls, 0.3 blks, 4.1 to, 43.8%/30.5%/78.3%, 34.7 mins
Averages Last Season:
18.5 pts, 7.4 reb, 7.1 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 3.8 to, 44.4%/29.8%/66.7%, 34.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
19.5 pts, 8.2 reb, 8.0 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.3 blks, 4.0 to, 44.0%/29.8%/66.9%
Russell Westbrook has accomplished many historical statistical feats throughout his career. He was the first man since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season, doing it three times throughout his career. Westbrook is a 9-time All-Star, 2-time scoring champion, 3-time assist leader, been selected to an All-NBA team 9 times and was included in the NBA 75th Anniversary team. In his first season with the Lakers, he struggled to co-exist alongside LeBron and Davis, because of his inability to shoot efficiently from 3-point range.
SG – Patrick Beverley
| H: 6’1″ | W: 180lbs | Age: 34 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$13.0m | Years Pro: 10 |
Career Averages:
8.8 pts, 4.3 reb, 3.5 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.5 blks, 1.3 to, 41.4%/37.8%/75.6%, 27.4 mins
Averages Last Season:
9.2 pts, 4.1 reb, 4.6 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.9 blks, 1.3 to, 40.6%/34.3%/72.2%, 25.4 mins
2022-23 Projections:
9.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 4.0 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.8 blks, 1.3 to, 41.0%/35.3%/72.9%
Patrick Beverley has worked hard to be one of the most tenacious defenders the league has seen. A former 2nd round pick, Beverley played overseas before finding a role with the Houston Rockets. He plays with heart, being the guy who instigates his teammates to do anything to win. In his lone season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was crucial in breaking their playoff drought. Now he gets to do it with the Lakers.
SF - LeBron James
| H: 6’9″ | W: 250lbs | Age: 37 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$141.6m | Years Pro: 19 |
Career Averages:
27.1 pts, 7.5 reb, 7.4 asts, 1.6 stls, 0.8 blks, 3.5 to, 50.5%/34.6%/73.4%, 38.2 mins
Averages Last Season:
30.3 pts, 8.2 reb, 6.2 asts, 1.3 stls, 1.1 blks, 3.5 to, 52.4%/35.9%/75.6%, 37.2 mins
2022-23 Projections:
28.5 pts, 8.2 reb, 7.1 asts, 1.3 stls, 0.8 blks, 3.8 to, 50.6%/35.0%/72.7%
One of the greatest players to ever set foot on a basketball court. LeBron James’ accolades are almost unparalleled in NBA history: 4 NBA championships, 4-time Finals MVP, 4-time MVP, 18-time All-Star, 18 All-NBA selections (including 13 All-NBA First team selections), 6-time All-Defensive selection and chosen as part of the NBA 75th Anniversary team celebrations. All that is left for LeBron is more team success, and the breaking of the scoring record, held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
PF - Anthony Davis
| H: 6’10” | W: 253lbs | Age: 29 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$78.6m | Years Pro: 10 |
Career Averages:
23.8 pts, 10.2 reb, 2.3 asts, 1.4 stls, 2.3 blks, 2.0 to, 51.5%/30.3%/79.4%, 34.4 mins
Averages Last Season:
23.2 pts, 9.9 reb, 3.1 asts, 1.2 stls, 2.3 blks, 2.1 to, 53.2%/18.6%/71.3%, 35.1 mins
2022-23 Projections:
23.1 pts, 9.2 reb, 3.2 asts, 1.3 stls, 2.0 blks, 2.1 to, 51.3%/25.8%/74.6%
When healthy, Anthony Davis is one of the most gifted basketballers in the game. His length is ridiculous (7’5”), allowing him to be a monster on the defensive end. Davis is a 3-time blocks leader and selected to 4-time All-Defensive teams, as well as an 8-time All-Star, 4-time All-NBA First team selection and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team. He accomplished his dream of winning an NBA championship in 2020, but has struggled to stay on the court since then. His shooting efficiency has also plummeted, but still remains strong defensively.
C - Thomas Bryant
| H: 6’10” | W: 248lbs | Age: 25 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$2.1m | Years Pro: 5 |
Career Averages:
10.2 pts, 5.7 reb, 1.3 asts, 0.4 stls, 0.9 blks, 0.9 to, 59.0%/35.0%/76.4%, 20.1 mins
Averages Last Season:
7.4 pts, 4.0 reb, 0.9 asts, 0.2 stls, 0.8 blks, 0.7 to, 52.0%/28.6%/87.5%, 16.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
8.9 pts, 4.4 reb, 1.2 asts, 0.4 stls, 0.7 blks, 0.8 to, 54.6%/34.6%/80.2%
Thomas Bryant was an important rotation member for the Washington Wizards for many years. At his best, Bryant was a very efficient scorer, from both the interior (61.5% from the field from 2019-21) and 3-point range (38.9% from 2019-21), creating space for John Wall and Bradley Beal to create on offence. However, the past two seasons have been derailed due to an ACL injury. Now arrives at the Lakers looking for a fresh start.
Backups
G - Kendrick Nunn
| H: 6’2″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 27 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$5.3m | Years Pro: 2 |
Formerly undrafted, Kendrick Nunn rose through the Miami Heat rotation and was a crucial starting piece for two successful Heat seasons. He provides solid perimeter defence, while also shooting at above-average efficiency from inside and outside the paint. Nunn arrived at the Lakers at the beginning of last season, but didn’t play due to a knee injury. Now fully healthy, he will be a key component of their return to playoff success.
G - Austin Reaves
| H: 6’5″ | W: 206lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$1.6m | Years Pro: 1 |
Throughout the chaos surrounding the Lakers, Austin Reaves was the beneficiary. Originally brought onto the Lakers as a two-way player, Reaves received spot minutes while his senior teammates were injured, and played himself into a regular back-up role. He started 19 games in his rookie year, showing more effort and hustle than many of his other teammates. Has a lot of room to grow his game, particularly offensively.
G - Lonnie Walker IV
| H: 6’4″ | W: 204lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$6.5m | Years Pro: 4 |
Lonnie Walker IV was the go-to scorer coming off the San Antonio Spurs bench. In the past two seasons, he’s been the unofficial 6th man, getting more shots up, but not doing it efficiently. The Spurs let him walk and sign with the Lakers during the off-season, where they hope he can replace Malik Monk’s production as their 6th man this season.
F - Juan Toscano-Anderson
| H: 6’6″ | W: 209lbs | Age: 29 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$1.9m | Years Pro: 3 |
Juan Toscano-Anderson arrived on the Golden State Warriors roster during their years of retooling. He remained on the roster as depth player for their forward ranks, able to plug into the rotation in small minutes and be a consistent and efficient shooter. He was a part of the Warriors championship run in 2022, before signing with the Lakers – looking for more opportunities to get more minutes.
C - Damian Jones
| H: 6’11” | W: 245lbs | Age: 27 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$4.9m | Years Pro: 6 |
Damian Jones has developed into a rim running back up Centre. While not the most offensively gifted, his hustle and effort on the defensive end is what gets him minutes. Has travelled across the league in his 6 seasons, but returns to the Lakers as someone capable of battling with Thomas Bryant for the starting Centre job.
The Rest
11. Troy Brown Jr (SF/PF)
12. Dennis Schroder (PG)
13. Wenyen Gabriel (PF)
14. Max Christie (SG)
15.
T-W. Cole Swider (SF/PF)
T-W. Scottie Pippen Jr (PG)
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the Los Angeles Lakers win totals sitting at 45.5 wins, 8th best in the Western Conference. Sorry to disappoint Lakers fans, but the team will not reach this win total, unless they can sort out the issues with their game plan and keep everyone injury free. It’s an optimistic win total that projects the Lakers to be at their best, which hasn’t happened since their championship run in 2020. Until the team can show some sort of continuity, they’ll be lucky to finish above .500.
Conclusion
The Los Angeles Lakers had a horror 2022 season, where things just didn’t work out the way they were intending. Anthony Davis’ durability concerns remained, Russell Westbrook didn’t fit in like many hoped, while LeBron James got another year older. Combined with their free agent acquisitions not living up to expectations, it all resulted in the Lakers missing the playoffs.
The Lakers roster in 2022 was elderly – many veterans looking for their last chance to win a championship, but most past their prime. That’s why this off-season was much better – the team picked up low-upside rotation-calibre players, with most still under the age of 30. Even though the team didn’t pick up any big-name players, the likes of Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones, Lonnie Walker IV, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown Jr all have the opportunity to transform their careers through increased opportunity, while simultaneously changing the Lakers’ fortunes in the win column.
If the Lakers wanted to return to the playoffs, they traded for the right man to help them on that path. Getting Patrick Beverley, a hustler with a knack for helping teams win, is a great culture and locker room presence for their roster. While he won’t contribute statistically like other veterans, what he did to bring together the young Timberwolves roster last season has to be commended. And as Beverley says himself, he is the reason why his teams consistently make the playoffs. The Lakers organisation will hope that rings true for the 2023 season.
The biggest issue with the Lakers last season was the lack of shooting. Which is why the Russell Westbrook acquisition in the 2021 off-season was the wrong choice. Westbrook’s ability as a basketballer hasn’t diminished, he’s just in the wrong system for his skillset. It also didn’t help that Davis has regressed in his shooting efficiency over the past two seasons, and LeBron hasn’t been an elite 3-point shooter throughout his career. Lonnie Walker, Thomas Bryant and Kendrick Nunn’s addition to the rotation should help ease some of this shooting pain, but it’s still a concern.
What’s also a concern was the 21st ranked defensive efficiency from the 2022 season. It’s not as concerning as the outside shooting, mainly due to the return of Davis and the acquisitions of Damian Jones and Patrick Beverley. When Davis is on the floor, the Lakers look like a different team – he goes from one side of the court to the other, getting steals and blocks and starting fast break opportunities for LeBron and Westbrook. If the Lakers want to return to their best, they desperately need a healthy Davis.
The team on paper looks much more balanced compared to this time last year. With a new head coach in Darvin Ham, there’s potential for this Lakers squad to return to the playoffs with a vengeance. But there are so many question marks: how will they (and how long will it take) to integrate the new acquisitions over the off-season? Can LeBron, Davis and Westbrook co-exist in the same line-up? Can Davis stay healthy enough to play a full season? Are they going to be able to improve when the rest of the Western Conference has improved as well?
All these questions concern the upside the Lakers have. And until I see it happen, I’m predicting the Lakers to win 41 games this season and finish as the 9th seed. The teams above the Lakers (Timberwolves, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Pelicans) I feel are better and more trusted than the Lakers currently. This may change as the season goes on, but I don’t want to overdo expectations with this Lakers squad. I hope that Davis can play a full season, and Westbrook can fit into this roster. LeBron will remain one of the best players in the league as he plays his 20th(!!!) season. While Thomas Bryant will rediscover some of the Wizards form from a few seasons ago, spacing the floor for Davis to operate in the post.