About two months in, the 2023-24 season has so far been something of a disappointment for the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite having what looked to be a pretty elite roster and championship aspirations, they hold a 15-11 record and are in eighth place in the Western Conference.
They clearly have some issues, and among them are 3-point shooting, frontcourt depth and perhaps perimeter defense. These issues have led to the team being discussed in trade rumors, most notably involving Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine.
On the other hand, their defense has improved over the last few weeks, as they have improved to eighth in defensive rating. In fact, their 3-point shooting percentage ranking, which was recently near the bottom of the league, has improved somewhat to 22nd.
Some would say the Lakers’ real problem has been their revolving door of injuries and their inability to maintain any real consistency with their lineups as a result. One Eastern Conference executive implied that if and when they get healthy, their problems could be solved without needing to make a move.
Via Heavy:
“You’re always gonna get Lakers trade rumors and, look, they have some guys they can move and some holes they can fill,” the executive told Heavy Sports. “But that is true of everyone. I think for them, they’re looking at it like they still don’t know what they are and everything they need to fix that roster is already on that roster. It’s a matter of health. You don’t want to make a trade to fix something that is going to be fixed in a couple of weeks once everyone’s healthy anyway.”
Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish missed L.A.’s game on Friday, which they lost to an awful San Antonio Spurs team. Because of L.A.’s injury woes, it is difficult to fully assess its overall situation right now.
