Last February, the trade that sent Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers broke the internet.

With Doncic in tow, the Lakers rallied to finish the regular season with the third seed in the West. Unfortunately, their season was prematurely cut short as the Minnesota Timberwolves ousted them in the first round. Given the circumstances–Doncic’s midseason arrival, a myriad of injuries, and a failed trade that left them center-less–the early exit was understandable.

The expectations are much higher now heading into the new campaign as Los Angeles and Doncic have had a full offseason to get to know one another. He also signed a three-year extension with the Lakers and made headlines when he was featured on the cover of Men’s Health magazine.

Los Angeles enters the season in the second tier of championship contenders below the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. With Doncic leading the way, they cannot be taken lightly and have a legitimate chance to beat any team on any given night.

WHAT’S NEW?

The Lakers signed three free agents this offseason in Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart. All three are expected to be in the team’s rotation, but Ayton comes in with the most to prove.

Ayton arrives in Los Angeles with the hope of jumpstarting a seven-year career that has severely fallen short of expectations. The Phoenix Suns selected him with the number one overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft where Doncic went third, yet decided to move on from him in 2023 when they traded him to the Portland Trailblazers. 

With Portland, Ayton was underwhelming and reportedly drew the ire of the team for his bad habits which led to them buying him out last June. He is still only 27 years old though and his career is still very much salvageable. His profile–a nimble seven-footer with a soft touch around the rim–suggests that he should thrive playing off Doncic and LeBron James who are both among the best passers in the NBA today.

The real variable here is his attitude. If the Lakers can get his buy-in, a focused version of Ayton could be the piece that helps elevate Los Angeles into the top tier of title contenders next to Oklahoma City and Denver.

BIGGEST QUESTIONS

The one and only LeBron James.

It might feel strange to consider the NBA’s all-time leading scorer a “question” heading into the season, but the fact that he will turn 41 years old by the end of the calendar year is a definite reason for concern.

James can still put up numbers–he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in 70 games last season–though the eye test makes it clear that his best days are behind him, especially on the defensive end. He can still be a major piece on a contender for as long as his role is a limited one. It would behoove the Lakers to make it clear from the get go that this is Doncic’s now and everything runs through him. Austin Reaves should take on a bigger role as well and it might better suit this team if he is second in their pecking order behind Doncic and ahead of James.

The 21-time NBA All-Star is undisputedly an all-time great, yet there remains one major challenge in front of him. James must now figure out how to be a supporting piece instead of a megastar. On the court, his passing, rebounding, and off-ball movement will be more important than ever to this team while his ability to mentor his younger teammates, particularly Ayton, could make or break their season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ayton is definitely the man to watch for Los Angeles.

Outside of Ayton, everyone already knows what to expect from the rest of this roster from Doncic all the way down to Bronny James. Ayton is the one with the widest range of possibilities and the Lakers need him to hit the higher end of this in the coming season.

Another key player with some upside is incoming sophomore Dalton Knecht who had a standout November last season. His shooting ability is extremely valuable for this team that will rely heavily on Doncic isolations and if his shot can gain some consistency, he could carve out a major role for Los Angeles not just this season, but in the long run as well. 

REASON FOR OPTIMISM/CONCERN

Doncic has already proven that he can carry an imperfect team to the NBA Finals and, at 26 years old, his best days are still ahead of him.

For as long as he is on the Lakers, there will always be room for optimism with this team.

One major concern for this team is the transition of leadership from James to Doncic. James must willingly take a backseat to Doncic for this team to succeed. If James does not, he risks muddling their chemistry and ultimately, his hopes of a sixth NBA championship.