The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the 2022-23 season, hoping their big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook can discover the magic and lead the team to be a contender in the Western Conference. Injury struggles prevented the 3 from getting a rhythm going last season, but under coach Darvin Ham, things are expected to be different.
According to FiveThirtyEight, a reputed projections site, the future isn’t looking pretty for the Lakers. LeBron and AD have been labeled borderline All-Star for this season by the site, while Westbrook has been ranked as a ‘scrub’, the worst projection he has had in his career.
The metric might have been a little hard on the players based on the past season that saw AD barely be available, and Westbrook be extremely poor. James being a borderline All-Star, doesn’t track with the way he played last season, but it could be a projection based on games played and defensive contributions as well.
Are The Projections Accurate?
LeBron James is the definition of an All-Star, and as long as he is in this league, he will not be considered a borderline All-Star. Even in bad seasons, James has consistently put up performances that at the least qualify him for an All-Star team. All-NBA is another story, but James will definitely be an All-Star if he is healthy through the opening 4 months of the season.
Anthony Davis, at the peak of his powers, would definitely be an All-Star. Due to his lack of playing with injuries, Davis is a very hard player to rank. When he is on the court, he is an absolute 2-way monster, so if he can enjoy some luck with his health this season, he should be in the All-Star mix.
Westbrook’s projection is almost disrespectful but can’t be argued vehemently based on the performances we just saw from the star. Hopefully, he can turn the narratives around this season and help the Lakers be a winning team.
