The Los Angeles Lakers went to work this offseason to check off some major boxes. Deandre Ayton was signed to fill the glaring hole at center, while Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia were brought in to add depth and balance.
However, the doubts haven’t fully gone away. Los Angeles fell short last year without a true presence in the paint. Now with Ayton in town, is that enough to move them up the West ladder or do they still have more to prove?
If you ask Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, the Lakers didn’t fail, but they haven’t aced the test either. Measuring their title chances, He gave them a B rating while stopping short of calling them contenders. For him, this team doesn’t have an elite roster in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers: B
“Ayton isn’t the perfect fit alongside Luka Dončić and LeBron James, although he’s a major upgrade over Jaxson Hayes in the starting lineup,” Swartz noted. “This is a good team, even after losing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency. It just isn’t an elite team in the West with this current roster.”
