LeBron James is in L.A., Kawhi Leonard is in Toronto and another wild NBA offseason is nearly complete.
Who are the best and worst teams heading into the 2018-19 season?
Our panel -- a group of more than 40 reporters, insiders and editors -- is looking ahead to next season with a new edition of NBA Power Rankings.
Note: These rankings take into account additional potential player movement. Voters were asked to pick the better team heading into next season in a series of head-to-head matchups featuring thousands of votes. Conference rankings are noted next to each team.
Quote:
9. Los Angeles Lakers (6)
2017-18 record: 35-47
Result: Missed playoffs
Previous rank: No. 13
Magic Johnson got his man LeBron James and then the Lakers proceeded to construct a curious supporting cast. It features tough veterans with playoff experience that they believe will give James multiple versatile options who can make plays and defend. Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee and Michael Beasley all bring a variety of talents but also an interesting mixture of strong and even quirky personalities. The Lakers added three players to their young, growing core in the draft. Lonzo Ball (torn left meniscus) underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and the Lakers' hope is to have him ready for the season. -- Youngmisuk
Key additions: LeBron James, Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Michael Beasley
Key subtractions: Channing Frye, Isaiah Thomas, Brook Lopez, Julius Randle and Thomas Bryant
_________________ Nobody in the NBA can touch the Laker brand, which, like the uniform color, is pure gold.
That would put us 5th or 6th in the West. Conservative but fair given we haven’t seen how these pieces will fit yet. _________________ We only celebrate championships.
That would put us 5th or 6th in the West. Conservative but fair given we haven’t seen how these pieces will fit yet.
They have us 6th in the West. There is a little (6) to the right of the Los Angeles Lakers. _________________ Nobody in the NBA can touch the Laker brand, which, like the uniform color, is pure gold.
I have no issue with the ranking. Lakers have a lot to prove. Until they do I cant argue too hard they should be ranked over some of the teams ahead of them.
Lets be realistic. Every team in front of them made minor changes and are coming off successful seasons. The Lakers completely revamped their roster and are relying on multiple one year deal players with quirky personalities, an aging mega star and several developing players to all come together and compete immediately.
Lakers will need to prove this roster can do it on the court. In some respects the ranking is arguably too high.
Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 2415 Location: Far from home
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:48 am Post subject:
The team represents several very divergent futures for 2018-2019.
They are untested as a group, which is pretty odd for a team for which anyone would forecast immediate playoff success but then LeBron's been able to carry several strange clubs into deep playoff runs.
There are not many great perimeter shooters here. The Lakers are almost entirely-dependent on the availability (read: health) of a very high mileage player. He's second-most in career minutes played among active NBA players today. He's 18th all-time in NBA career minutes played, and I suspect that no one with more minutes played was ever was the best player on a great team at the time. Since he's been surrounded with a strange assortment of oddball veteran "characters" new to the club, and with some high potential returning youngsters, this could go either way - hard.
I'm splitting the difference. Is being sixth best in the West a great ticket to playoff success ? No, not in year one in today's Western conference. I see the Laker future weighted at sixth best in the West : better by ten wins more if LeBron stays healthy but cut down by ten-plus losses more if he misses a substantial amount of time. _________________ “These GOAT discussions are fun distractions while sitting around waiting for the pizza to be served.”
That would put us 5th or 6th in the West. Conservative but fair given we haven’t seen how these pieces will fit yet.
That's a good perspective. If there is any substance to this, it only serves to see progress through the year. It's better to be ranked too low, than to be given #3 and have the headline every week be "Lakers drop a spot, it's not as easy as they thought it would be". Nobody is taking Denver over LA in the playoffs.
i think 9th overall is the absolutely absurd. at worst we are 5th in the west after gsw/hou/utah/okc, and there's at best 1 east team better than us (bos). philly did nothing to get better and we played them even last season. we know what lebron does to toronto, even if KL makes them a little better, we are better than the cavs were last year.
so i don't see how 9th overall is even a possibility. at worst, we're 7th. _________________ substance over style
That would put us 5th or 6th in the West. Conservative but fair given we haven’t seen how these pieces will fit yet.
That's a good perspective. If there is any substance to this, it only serves to see progress through the year. It's better to be ranked too low, than to be given #3 and have the headline every week be "Lakers drop a spot, it's not as easy as they thought it would be". Nobody is taking Denver over LA in the playoffs.
Yup it’s definitely good perspective. I don’t think anyone outside of GSW will want to play the Lakers when the playoffs begin and that’s refreshing and pretty damn successful considering where the 2017-18 season ended...
Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 11197 Location: The Other Perspective
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:00 am Post subject:
I chose too low since I think we're a #4 seed in the West, but they peg us at #6, it's not too far off. _________________ "Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him
i think 9th overall is the absolutely absurd. at worst we are 5th in the west after gsw/hou/utah/okc, and there's at best 1 east team better than us (bos). philly did nothing to get better and we played them even last season. we know what lebron does to toronto, even if KL makes them a little better, we are better than the cavs were last year.
so i don't see how 9th overall is even a possibility. at worst, we're 7th.
I’m thinking ESPN wants to see the Lakers young core prove themselves.
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:18 am Post subject:
over 50% of the roster is new....have not played together....crazy mix of strong personalities....young core hoping to improve.....more question marks, and variables that any other playoff team. I think #9 is very fair given what is known right now.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35750 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:22 am Post subject:
I feel like we should be above OKC, a team which lost in the first round in 5 games last season. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
over 50% of the roster is new....have not played together....crazy mix of strong personalities....young core hoping to improve.....more question marks, and variables that any other playoff team. I think #9 is very fair given what is known right now.
given that logic, the team with the greatest question mark, kawhi leonard, should be lower. _________________ substance over style
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