ESPN predicts a better season for the Lakers even with Russell Westbrook
By Jason Reed
While the Los Angeles Lakers likely want to make more changes to the roster before the 2022-23 season begins it has not stopped NBA pundits from predicting what is going to happen next season.
With Russell Westbrook still on the roster it is impossible to predict the Lakers to make that much of a leap from last season to this upcoming season. Most of the same problems are still present in LA and last we checked, Westbrook is not going to suddenly change his game for LA.
That being said, even before the Lakers make a potential Westbrook move, some NBA pundits are predicting that the team will make an improvement. Granted, the improvement is not huge, but at least it can’t be as bad as last season… right?
An expert panel over at ESPN predicted the win-loss record for all 15 teams in the Western Conference ahead of the 2022-23 season and the Lakers saw a nine-game improvement in their record. The 33-49 Lakers are projected by ESPN to finish 42-40 next season, which by their predictions would be ninth in the Western Conference.
Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers are still only a play-in team with Russell Westbrook
As much as it hurts to admit, the odds of the Lakers getting above the play-in in the stacked Western Conference are pretty slim if Westbrook is still around. Westbrook simply clashes with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the Lakers would be better off if he simply did not play.
In fact, I would argue that the only path to a winning record with Westbrook on the roster next season is if Darvin Ham and co. told him to go home John Wall style. I know there are Westbrook fans out there that read the box scores and still think he can offer a lot to a team but anyone who watched Lakers basketball last year knows the reality of the situation.
And this is why it is so imperative for the front office to move him before the season begins. The title window with LeBron James and Anthony Davis is only shrinking and if the front office truly wants to contend then they have to prove that.
If they don’t want to contend and send future assets to fix their mistake then they should be blowing it up. Stop pretending like you want to be a contender if you are not putting in the necessary work to actually be a contender.
In this theorized play-in the Lakers would have to beat the Portland Trail Blazers and then the loser of the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans. Quite frankly, with the way this team is constructed, I doubt they could even do that.