For the first time in a few years, the Los Angeles Lakers have a rich and talented cast, and they appear to be one of a handful of legitimate championship contenders in the NBA this season.
Training camp will start for them early next week. Instead of having to deal with an imbalanced and incomplete roster, numerous new starters or incessant trade rumors, they can simply focus on attaining lofty goals.
Buy Lakers TicketsLakers legend Magic Johnson, who is also a former executive and part-owner of the team, has never been shy in sharing his opinions regarding the Purple and Gold. He seems very excited about this year’s squad, and he even called it “the best team in the West” (h/t The Cold Wire).
Magic Johnson has high hopes for this year's Lakers team 👀
"This is going to be crazy. People are going to be really excited to watch this team play. I'm just giddy… I feel we are the best team, to me, the deepest team in the West and that makes us, to me, the best team in… pic.twitter.com/2P2dTDfcbC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 29, 2023
Johnson had plenty of other complimentary things to say about the 2023-24 Lakers, particularly their composition and the job general manager Rob Pelinka did this offseason.
Via Los Angeles Times:
“This is a championship team and they shouldn’t run away from that. They should embrace that and then go for it. I think LeBron [James] sees it too. One thing I’m really happy about is that he can see that he has a championship team. And when him and Anthony Davis feel like, ‘Oh, man. OK, we can win it all,’ watch out for them.
“This is going to be one of the most exciting seasons, because this is an exciting team. See, everybody we got can run. They can jump. … I like the variety, because we can have so many different lineups in there. That’s how you win. That’s how you win the championship. You got to have versatility in your lineup and we have it. Now, even if LeBron is out, we can win. If Anthony Davis is out, we can win. If somebody gets injured, we can win.
“And then keeping Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell and [Rui] Hachimura, keeping all three of these young guys who I think made such a huge contribution and impact on the Lakers. So we didn’t let anybody get away. I thought he (Pelinka) set the tone by re-signing them first and then making all the incredible acquisitions. So, I’m so proud of Rob. The thought process that went into each player, see that’s what I’m talking about. So, each one of them brings something to the table that will make a huge contribution in different ways. So, watch out.”
The Lakers may not be the favorites to win the world title, but they certainly have at least a realistic chance of claiming the Larry O’Brien Trophy next summer.
