Los Angeles Lakers: Analyzing 2017-18 Goals from start of season

2. Twelve-Win Improvement

As a Lakers fanatic, I went through as many highs and lows as a three-minute roller coaster ride throughout the campaign. Some games created great showings. At other points, I almost puked at others. [See Lonzo Ball vs. Pelicans for references].

To keep it simple, I over expected Los Angeles’ record by three wins. I placed too much on new additions of Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to carry the team to 38 wins. Again, this does not mean the season is a fluke.

Nine wins over last year are completely fine, especially in a conference filled with the nastiest opponents you could face. At one point, eleven teams vied for a playoff seed, including the Lakers at the last stretch of the season.

The most important benefactor of this improvement should be head coach Luke Walton. His preaching on defense, adversity amid the LaVar Ball scandals and development should be in the more positively conversed between social circles. The funniest part of Walton this season was probably this moment.