Assessments on what type of summer the Los Angeles Lakers had involved a wide range, and it really all depended on who you were listening to. Ask the franchise's best player, and you will hear a pretty satisfied review of the offseason. Luka Doncic fully supported the job done by Rob Pelinka to overhaul the roster at Lakers Media Day.
"I like everybody that we signed. I think there's a lot of underrated guys. ... I'm very excited to play with all of them."
To some degree, the cynics out there will immediately question what else Luka was supposed to say. It would have been a bad look if the franchise guy did not stand behind Pelinka and the new Lakers players. Fair enough.
However, it is hard to believe Doncic did not have sincerity to what he said. After a few days of training camp, there is even more reason to stand by that. The Lakers have been vocally supporting one another left and right. All you hear out of that building right now is overwhelming positivity.
The 'underrated' assessment Doncic had of the newly-acquired guys is on pace to become less true by the day, but in a good way.
Lakers are making it tough to not buy stock in their upside
It just feels like this overall group has a collective chip on their shoulders. Clichéd? Perhaps it is. Without merit? Not at all.
Guys have spent time lifting each other up and challenging the more pessimistic beliefs surrounding the team. Lakers defenders have raved about Walker Kessler's abilities. Kessler has returned the favor.
Players like Quentin Grimes have gotten in on the positivity, proclaiming the defenders in Los Angeles are better than they are being given credit for. Austin Reaves has hyped up his new teammates like Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams. There is a lot of love going around.
To some capacity, it is a new season and if there was ever a time for vibes to be high, it would be before a basketball game has been played. The Lakers have yet to be put to the test. That attitude just comes off as far too dismissive of everything that has been said and heard, though.
Some guys have been bolder than others. Ziaire said during the offseason that he thought a title was not out of the question. Williams doubled down on that belief at Lakers Media Day, too.
Ziaire said: "We have a bunch of great passers on this team, great shooters, great defensive versatility. I think we have everything we need to win an NBA championship."
Kevon Looney delivered a slightly milder dosage of that boldness earlier this summer, too. The three-time NBA champion believed his team 'had a shot.'
No group starts training camp as a title-ready team. That was JJ Redick's message at the start-of-season press conference. The Lakers coach had confidence in molding a high-character group of players in Los Angeles into that type of unit.
Not many will get on board with that thought right now. However, that just plays to the underrated aspect Doncic communicated about who is in the building. Lakers fans will surely hope their superstar is a better judge of talent than the external skeptics.
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