The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into their first season in eight years without one of basketball's all-time greatest players, LeBron James, on the roster. James opted to depart for free agency this offseason, following a season where the Lakers reached the postseason and advanced past the Houston Rockets in the first round, only to be swept in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. With King James' departure, Luka Doncic is unquestionably the team's superstar and franchise leader.
He'll still have Austin Reaves playing point guard alongside him in the backcourt, but the starting lineup features new teammates, including big man Walker Kessler. The team's offseason free-agent signings Quentin Grimes and Ziaire Williams, could fill the other two frontcourt spots beside Kessler, whom the Lakers landed in a trade with the Utah Jazz. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins expects big things from the Lakers' offense now.
More news: Magic Johnson Sends Message to Dodgers After Failed World Series Three-Peat Bid "Luka is so great when he has a dynamic roller that loves to finish at the basket, but also Luka is different, a different type of guy in the pick and roll," Perkins explained on "NBA Today." He said he would like to see if Doncic can "develop the same synergy that he had with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively" when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals. "Once they develop that, we know Luka's gonna get buckets, but outside of that, it's gonna open up so many wide-open threes for Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, and others that I believe the Lakers are going to have the best offensive team in the league in my opinion when you think about what they're capable of doing," Perkins claimed. Doncic led the league last season in scoring, averaging 33.5 points per game with a 47.6% field goal percentage.
The Lakers were tied for 11th in the league in scoring with the Chicago Bulls, as each team put up 116.3 points per game. Denver led the league in scoring with 122.1 points per game, aided by averaging more than two additional 3s per game than the Lakers did. Last season's Lakers team ranked among the bottom 10 in made 3s, with 11.8 per game.
However, Perkins believes that opponents double-teaming Doncic will bring more open looks on the perimeter, and it could also help establish Kessler as a legitimate inside scoring threat for Los Angeles. More news: Spurs, Victor Wembanyama Draw Major Predictions Ahead of NBA Season For more about the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA, visit Newsweek Sports.
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