The offseason of Los Angles Lakers hot takes continues, as two former LeBron James teammates are weighing in on whether expectations can be met.
One of the biggest questions hovering over the new NBA season is whether the Lakers got better or simply got older.
The answer doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive, as the talent Los Angeles added during the offseason speaks for itself. Having a roster of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony David, and LeBron James sounds really good on paper but whether or not it works on the court is something fans are eager to find out.
Based on the excessive number of nationally televised Lakers games the NBA scheduled, we’re going to get a heavy dose to judge.
That’s all happening in a few months, though. Until then we need to fill the air with predictions about what a team we’ve never seen play together before will look like. Two of LeBron’s former teammates — Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson — both weighed in on what they think could be in store for the Lakers this season on the podcast Road Trippin’.
Frye disagrees that the Lakers are runaway favorites in the Western Conference despite the hype that has been building around them following their moves this offseason.
“I was listening to you. I don’t agree with you. I love Bron. I love AD. I like Melo. I like Russell Westbrook. It is 2021. There’s not enough balls to go around,” Frye said. “In the playoffs, it’s a big ‘what-if’. This old a– team has to make it 82 games to the playoffs.”
He stopped short, however, of spiking his vein and injecting the hot take that the Lakers are old and washed.
Frye didn’t go as far as to say the Lakers were washed, stating that if the team can stay healthy it can win a championship this year. Richard Jefferson disagrees.
Jefferson: “Let’s assume health for every team.”
Frye: “Oh, healthy for every team? This team wins a championship.”
Jefferson: “Well, they’re not better than Brooklyn. Yeah, we’ll argue that point. They’re not better than Brooklyn.”
We won’t see the Lakers until the preseason, and we won’t truly see what the core looks like until much later into the season. There will be overreactions, there will be hot takes galore, and if things aren’t working in February then we can all say told you so.
But until then, simply letting the dust settle and then assessing where this team fits into the pantheon of superteams is a totally fine approach.