If you listen to and believe the guys on the revamped Los Angeles Lakers roster, they are all singing a similar tune with regard to what the trip to Slovenia did for this new collection of players. The clear takeaway: chemistry was built quickly and then some.
Collin Sexton expressed the point of the trip was obvious. The Lakers were meant to gel and work out together, building chemistry in the process. How did that go? Pretty darn well if you ask the newly-signed guard. It went so well, in fact, that Sexton believed it could speed up a process of meshing together that can usually takes months.
If you have been paying attention, Ziaire Williams has also been vocal about the confidence gained from the Slovenia trip. Kevon Looney similarly set the bar high about what the Lakers are capable of after getting a chance to feel things out in Eastern Europe. The veteran center did not shy away from how important this newfound chemistry can be for the new-look squad in Los Angeles.
"Chemistry's big in our sport, and the best teams that win usually have great chemistry. So, it was a great building block for us."
Lakers' growing chemistry can help them overcome their roster flaws
This new Lakers roster is a lot better than skeptics would like to admit. Even so, acting like the flaws are not there would be just as disingenous.
Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder should still be projected in their own West tier next season. They have quality and depth that, on paper, the Lakers do no truly rival just yet. This is where they need to hope all this good will from Slovenia can help make up the difference.
It is not the first time this has been said around here, but it is worth mentioning once more: teams with great chemistry can have the whole outperform the sum of its parts. That will be what the Lakers are angling at in the coming 2026-27 season. The strategy is far from misguided.
The Lakers have the elite talent at the top. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves can steal basketball games all by their lonesome. If the role players behind them can excel enough to support those stars, Los Angeles should be capable of challenging anyone on any given night.
Putting those support pieces in a position to thrive comes largely from understanding where those players operate at their best. That is where the chemistry and cohesion comes in. It quickly becomes a game of scratching each other's backs constantly. The Lakers have that itch.
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