Why Lakers could really become NBA championship team this season

What is the Lakers’ ceiling?

Lakers coach JJ Redick and Luka Doncic believe the team could compete for a championship this season.

But is that realistic?

In the Western Conference alone, there’s a Goliath-sized impediment.

Advertisement

You know, the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama who carried the Spurs to the NBA Finals last postseason before his team blew double-digit leads in four of its five games against the eventual-champion Knicks. Wembanyama, who’s next in line to become the face of the league after LeBron James retires, spent all summer stewing — and plotting.

There’s also a well-established impediment.

You know, two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the Thunder to a championship in 2025 and is now chomping at the bit to carry his team back to the Finals after the Spurs stunned Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

The thing with this Lakers team is that their championship hurdles will be as much external as internal.

Advertisement

There are nine new players, including Walker Kessler, who’s going to be an integral part of the Big 3 alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves. There are questions around the team’s perimeter defense. It’s going to take time for everyone to build chemistry. To jell.

Walker Kessler #14 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers smile during a game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

Not only do the Lakers have to worry about everyone else. But they have to worry about themselves. What’s their identity?

Redick raised eyebrows when he claimed ahead of media day that he was confident the Lakers would develop into a championship-level team this season.

When asked at Thursday’s practice why he believes that, he didn’t hesitate.

Advertisement

“I think that every season,” Redick said. “Unless somebody blatantly tells me that we’re not trying to win, I think that every year. That’s why I say I’m confident. I said the same thing last year for all of January and February that we were going to figure it out at some point, and we did. And then we had some injuries.”

Redick’s not…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-lakers-could-really-become-234526881.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-10-15 23:45:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.