The Los Angeles Lakers made one trade on NBA trade deadline day. It was a small upgrade, well within their ballpark, focused on a boost to the edges, and didn't really rattle the overall vision they have been putting together. Was it enough?
If the rumors are true, the Lakers believe that it was. Ahead of the trade deadline, when asked to predict what the future looked like for a Los Angeles team that stood pat entirely, Dan Woike delivered an eye-opening statement on how the franchise viewed themselves.
Woike wrote, "People inside the locker room and opposing talent evaluators say they’re built more for playoff basketball than regular-season play."
Why do the Lakers think they're built for playoff basketball? Woike mentioned the 'top-end offensive talent' is believed to be capable of winning stretches with their greatness alone, even when the league is tilting toward favoring strategies that involve depth.
Lakers believe they’re already built for playoff basketball
That is certainly an opinion of all time to have about this year's roster, if true. Sticking to the messaging about financial freedom may have been better to avoid backlash from the fans in Los Angeles. That feels more believable and understandable.
By comparison, selling the idea of a contender essentially already being in place is bold.
Granted, the Lakers were not without maneuvers altogether. They added Luke Kennard to support the shooting on the perimeter. They will also have an opportunity to bring in at least one more name from the buyout market.
Even so, propagandizing the idea of this being a playoff-ready roster is an uphill battle. It's not even that Los Angeles is calling themselves that. They are actually saying they are built for the postseason and not the regular season.
The part of that which makes it so tough to get behind is obviously the defensive side of the court.
Championship teams tend to have elite defenses. At the very least, they typically have balanced squads that are both a top-10 offense and defense. The Lakers are nowhere near that.
Los Angeles still ranks in the bottom-10 when it comes to defensive rating. Their mark of 116.9 places them 23rd in the NBA.
Perhaps there is some encouragement to be found in an improved unit over their last 10 games. The Lakers rank 17th during that stretch, which is ... better, despite their 6-4 record over that span.
Maybe things really gel in the second half of the season and there is evidence of this all being true. At this time, though, it's not all too convincing.