The Los Angeles Lakers surprised everyone last season by making it to the Western Conference Finals after a 2-10 start. After that and a stellar free agency, though, expectations from the team are back to being high.
Rapper Ice Cube has been a fan of the Lakers for a long time. And when he was asked about what the team should achieve in the 2023-24 season, he gave a simple answer.
“Championship,” the legendary rapper said, leaving no doubt what LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and their new roster need to be aiming for.
.@icecube has the Lakers winning a title this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/DIR4fZFAdx
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 12, 2023
The Los Angeles Lakers managed to retain key pieces for their roster next season, re-signing Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura. And that wasn’t all, they also added Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince to the mix, along with promising potential young pieces like Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes.
LeBron James is heading into his 21st NBA season next year, and he is still chasing Michael Jordan’s tally of six championships despite approaching his 40s. His goal will be the same as what Ice Cube has outlined, and if Anthony Davis can stay healthy, then they have the team to get it done as well.
Analysts Believe The Lakers Have What It Takes To Get Back To The Top
Size, defense, and three-point shooting are all needed for a team to excel in the modern NBA, and the Lakers have addressed all of those things this off-season. With Darvin Ham going into his second year with the team, he will be more comfortable and able to lead them better as well. And analysts like Stephen A. Smith think the team has enough to make another deep playoff run, at the very least.
“I’m not going to doubt that [LeBron James] is going to be ready for the season… Keeping [Rui] Hachimura and Austin Reaves, that’s a big deal,” said Smith on First Take. “Acquiring Vincent, elevating your backcourt play. Do they need an additional big body?
“But I think when you look at the fact that they walk into this season with a level of continuity as opposed to looking for it and searching for it by disrupting your team and making wholesale changes mid-way like they did this past season. I think that’s a plus. They accomplished what they accomplished by playing 25 games together. [The Lakers] are good enough to get back to the [Conference Finals].”
The Western Conference is looking incredibly tough again going into next season. The Warriors have acquired Chris Paul, the Phoenix Suns got Bradley Beal, and other teams have also strengthened. Making it back to the top will be easier said than done, but the Lakers’ past success means that a championship is always a part of the expectations.
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