The Los Angeles Lakers are going into the season with high expectations. They look to compete for a championship with a solid roster. However, with LeBron James ageing and Anthony Davis’ health, the Lakers face three burning questions entering the 2023-24 NBA season.
1. Will Anthony Davis Remain Healthy?
Davis has become a key component of the Lakers franchise moving forward. In fact, the Lakers have extended his contract into the 2027-2028 season. So, there is a lot at stake for the big man to perform in order to stay competitive. However, the question is how healthy can he remain this season?
Davis in the last three seasons has played in just 132 out of a possible 246 regular season games. That is only 54% of the time that he was on the court. Since the championship run in the 2019-2020 season, he has been hit with a lot of injuries. Therefore, how well the team does is reliant on the availability of their star big man.
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If Davis can’t stay healthy, the Lakers will have issues surrounding their defense as well. As much as he is also a player they need to score buckets, he is more valuable on the other end. Clearly, fans and teammates could be concerned if he is struggling to be out on the court each night.
2. Who is going to start for the Lakers?
With all the roster changes, the team could look completely different depending on who they start. Looking at the depth chart it might seem obvious. However, concerns over the center position along with guard play could be in question.
Davis has already made it clear that he would rather not play the center position. With that being said, do they start Christian Wood at center? Do you have LeBron play the small forward position to round out the front court, and have D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves in the back court?
Alternatively, do you have a starting lineup that consists of Russell and Reaves in the backcourt with LeBron, Davis, and Rui Hachiumara in the front court. It could also be the case that you replace Rui with Jarred Vanderbilt.
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Regardless, the starting lineup could be a challenge for coach Darvin Ham. It might change from game to game but it would also have to depend on favorable matchups.
3. How effective will Gabe Vincent be in limited minutes?
Vincent was an incredible player for the Heat last season. He stepped up when needed and played heavy minutes into the playoffs and in the Finals. With Russell more likely to start, Vincent will play as the back up for the Lakers. The question is how effective will he be in limited minutes.
Vincent is not your traditional guard. He only averaged 2.5 assists last season and 3.5 in the playoffs. That means he does better when the ball is in his hands and can put up some points. That could be ideal when he comes off the bench for the Lakers. However, it could also be an issue in terms of how many minutes he gets.
For the Heat, he averaged 26 minutes a game in the regular season and 31 minutes in the playoffs. If his production relies on getting that many minutes a game, that could be a problem for the Lakers. He most likely will not receive that many minutes a night depending on how well Russell plays. Also, if he requires the ball in his hands it can cause issues with others on the court.
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Vincent is not necessarily a playmaker and that could be an issue with the way the Lakers roster is made up. He will have to play a different role than what he had with the Heat. Although a great pickup, if he doesn’t feel comfortable in his new role, it could effect his production.
Fans are excited to see how the Lakers perform going into the season. Players and fans alike are eager to see how they compete with the better teams in the league. If they can address the questions posed above sooner than later, they can easily be championship favorites.
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