With training camp for the 2023-24 season nearing, the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to hit the court for what could be an exciting and very successful season. They appear to have a stacked roster. Therefore, an 18th NBA championship is a realistic goal.
To accomplish that goal, a number of players will need to play to their potential. We have identified three goals for each Lakers player that, if attained, will help the team win it all.
Everything ultimately falls on LeBron James when it comes to the success of the team. If he succeeds at these three goals, there is a good chance the team will hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy next summer.
Stay healthy
James was once one of the NBA’s most durable players. However, since joining the Lakers, he has become injury-prone: He has played in more than 56 games in just one season with them.
Last year, he was hampered by ailments in both of his feet. A right foot injury forced him to miss a month late in the schedule and left him compromised after he returned.
The Lakers need to help James remain healthy by reducing his minutes and workload. Reportedly, that is part of the plan going into the new season.
Last season, he logged 35.5 minutes a game, and the year before that, he was at 37.2 minutes per contest.
Shoot a higher percentage from 3-point range
Although James, with the exception of one or two seasons, had never been a great percentage 3-point shooter, he has also trended somewhat upward over the years. However, last season he regressed in a big way. He hit only 32.1% from 3-point range.
At this point in his career, he is taking an increasing proportion of his shots from beyond the arc, and many of those attempts are of the contested variety. It hurt the Lakers at times last season, particularly in the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets. During that series, he made only 26.9% of his 3-point attempts, and he didn’t make a single one in the first two contests. Yet, he still attempted 6.5 treys a game as L.A. got swept.
James doesn’t necessarily need to shoot close to 40% from that distance. But he needs to reach at least 36%, especially given how often he winds the shot clock down and jacks up such shots with a defender in his face to beat the buzzer.
Maintain an elite level of production
What James has done at his age with the type of mileage he has is truly remarkable. He averaged 28.9 points on 50% overall shooting, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game last season, which was his age-38 season. He has become the greatest late-30s player in NBA history, and he is chasing legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady in terms of winning the longevity argument in any major team sport.
When a great athlete declines due to wear and tear, it can happen suddenly, even if he avoids major injuries. James will need to continue to have the upper hand over Father Time, as he did in those recent Nike commercials, for the Lakers to have a real shot at winning the world championship.
