The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the highest win totals for gambling, but they should surpass that number and here are three reasons why.
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be one of the most improved in teams in basketball, if not the most. Las Vegas sites like Bovada have the Lakers over/under win total set at 50.5 games.
It appears that the ACL injury to DeMarcus Cousins dropped their win total a few games as sites had the Lakers winning between 50-53 games.
Last season the Lakers went 37-45. A season that was filled with injuries like no other. No Laker player played more than 70 games with the exception of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and JaVale McGee.
LeBron James had an injury that kept him out longer than a month for the first time, while Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram also missed significant time.
A refreshed James, who finally had a summer off, and the addition of superstar Anthony Davis to go alongside him and some proven veterans will make the Lakers a sure contender.
Here are three reasons the Lakers will cover that total of 50.5 wins.
-Better version of LeBron James
Nobody can complain about what LeBron did in his first season individually with the Lakers. He averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. The problem was that he missed 27 games, and was abysmal on defense at times.
For most of the season, James looked lost on defense. Ball-watching and getting caught in no man’s land was a common theme for James. It even got to the point where Kyle Kuzma had to push him to move on defense.
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This season I expect there to be a bit more motivation for James. He hears the noise, people are saying he’s getting older, and that he missed the playoffs for the first time since his second season. Look for a better LeBron this time around.
-Shooters
Last season the Lakers made a mistake in signing a bunch of veterans who didn’t make much sense in terms of fit. Yes, McGee, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and Michael Beasley can all play. The problem is that none are considered a knockdown shooter, not even a respectable outside shooter.
This time around Rob Pelinka and the front office were a lot smarter and flipped the script. Signing players like Quinn Cook, Danny Green, Troy Daniels, and Avery Bradley will all help in the shooting departing. All four guys have a career 3-point percentage above 36 percent. The same can be said for Jared Dudley, who is a 39% shooter in his career.
Last season the Lakers were second to last in the league in 3-point shooting, knocking them down at 33%. When you have shooting alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis it can and will spell trouble for opposing defenses.
-Depth
Not only did the Lakers add a top 5-10 player in basketball in Davis, but they are also a deep team. Despite the unfortunate Cousins injury they are still one of the deepest teams in the league. The Lakers will likely throw a lineup of Rondo/Green/LeBron/Kuzma/Davis out on the floor.
Off the bench they will likely have Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard, Quinn Cook, JaVale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Alex Caruso. That is one deep bench.
This list doesn’t even include rookie Talen Horton-Tucker and Troy Daniels, who can really shoot it. The combination of Cook and Caruso in the backcourt can be lethal alongside Bradley’s defense.