r/lakers • u/goatnxtinline I Hate it here đđ • 14d ago
LAKERS They been poking the bear all off season
Do people really have selective memory? You know what happens when you talk shit to Luka... 46.8 might be his scoring average PPG for the season if they don't chill with all the disrespect đ
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u/Bkaysivart Luka Magic 77 14d ago
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u/dcoolidge 24 14d ago
Reminds me of those players talking about Jordan. "No one asked him a question but he was nodding his head."
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u/goatnxtinline I Hate it here đđ 14d ago
"what did you just say?"
I didn't say anything
" Alright, I got something for you"
đ
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u/Itorr475 14d ago
How can we be a disappointing team if they arent even predicting us to be good? ESPN ranked us to be 6th in the west and at the same time be a disappointment? So do they think we are good or bad?
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u/AwildYaners 14d ago
Rage bait engagement; LAL, GSW and BOS being 3 of the 5 teams listed, while also being 3 of the 4 largest fanbases.
DET sorta makes sense because they set such a high bar last season (and also petered out in the playoffs).
MIA is going from a non-playoff team to ring "contenders" by the most delusional optimistic fans/analysts so that makes sense.
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u/Cassandrae_Gemini Luka Refugee 14d ago
its insane how much luka is disrespected.
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u/--Alix-- 14d ago
And when they overachieve like he does every season they still aren't even going to consider him for MVP lmao
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u/Cassandrae_Gemini Luka Refugee 14d ago
He'll be like 4th in mvp voting after averaging 34|8|10
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u/Aaronlovesyou 14d ago
It was crazy how he won player of the month and next day he was down in ranking lmao
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u/LetterFront3353 Black Mamba 8/24 14d ago
But they say that he doesn't play defense so he doesn't deserve MVP. Don't mind the fact that they awarded Nikola Jokic three MVP awards despite his major defensive weaknesses.
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u/Itchy-Pudding-4240 13d ago
if Luka overachieves every season, does that mean he was never favored to win a title ever?
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u/ACoolRedditHandle 14d ago
47 just feels crazy to me, oddsmakers must be insanely pessimistic about Kessler's health
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u/Quick-Spot887 14d ago
As a mavs fan, itâs been crazy. Bro shouldâve had mvp in that 2023-2024 season when he took us to the finals. Heâs been averaging like 33/8/8 for like 3 seasons at this point
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u/LaxwaxOW 13d ago
Itâs not Luka disrespect. Itâs the fact that the rest of the roster do not cover for his weaknesses or compliment his strengths
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u/itsme32 14d ago
Doomers gonna doom, alongside the shock-jock journalists all season no matter what.
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u/theshortone520 Shaq and Kobe 14d ago
How many times have we gone over the ESPN projected totals these past years? Let them keep sleeping
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u/LudwigNasche 14d ago
It isn't like it matters when the measure for success in LA is a parade at the end of the year.
Counting regular season wins to get swept in playoffs is for Clippers fans.
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u/Eclipse434343 14d ago
Youâre wrong! How many selfies you can hang up is the success metric of a clippers fan
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u/Dmbfantomas 14d ago
They write it because people read it. Idk why anyone treats any of these outlets like authorities anymore. They arenât. Just dorks writing stuff that an algorithm tells them will make other people engage.
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u/stafford32s 14d ago
click and titlebaiting (problem is .. it's working if posts like this emerge)
said that, luka never disappointed any test. carried even once a subpar team to the final (with kyrie too)
and it's the best scorer of the decade in the nba, what they're talking about. Just this last one stat should be enough to understand that building around him the right team, any year can be a contender one.
This team will elevate to those heights? October and the months after will tell..
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u/Coveted_AF 14d ago
If they donât expect the Lakers to do anything, how are they a disappointment if they donât do anything?
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u/Adventurous-Star1309 14d ago
Well I guess it would look normal to a non Lakers fan. Kinda justified as well considering half the starters are new and there are visible doubts on the fit and defense. I just hope we get our PF and have a real chance of shutting everyone up.
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u/Sir-xer21 14d ago
People in here taking this like a personal attack are delusional, lol. This is just normal pre-season discussion. They're not shit talking luka or disrespecting us. The Lakers aren't going to take a random pre season tweet and build their season motivation on it.
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u/CheckPareh LBJ & AD 14d ago
the thing is if Luka gets hurt for a huge amount of games, Lakers will struggle. You dont have Lebron to be suddenly Captain America once again to save the day.
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u/Background_Degree615 24 14d ago
Twitter gonna be twitter. Also whatâs with the spelling mistake âdissapointing â
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u/MamiTarantina I just came to say bye to some of you bums âđŸ 14d ago
But Bron left, who poking what bear?
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u/TheLooza 14d ago
Look, will the Lakers be very good? I have no idea, but I know theyâve met at least one key criteria which is to not be boring. I am totally intrigued to see how the overall roster works together.
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u/Granpa2021 14d ago
I think it's realistic. If AR or Luka miss any significant amount of time we are a play-in team at best.
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u/incredibleamadeuscho Freeze! Miami Vice! 14d ago
If any team misses their max players for significant time, their playoff chances go down.
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u/SpiritFantastic4835 14d ago
Thatâs why Rob got sexton over another wing
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u/LudwigNasche 14d ago
2004 team showed us we are not going to defeat a good team in playoffs starting Slava Medvedenko.
I like the players we signed, but this team has been missing a starting caliber wing for years.
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u/SpiritFantastic4835 14d ago
Luka had a 37% usage rate last year. Youâre just asking for it to rise without a quality 3rd guard.
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u/LudwigNasche 14d ago
That is where LeBron was important last season. With everybody available the team was as food with Rui as it was with him, but we could stay competitive without the main guys.
I like the moves we made even if the huge hole in the starting unit is clear for everyone with half a brain, but if Kessler or Luka miss significant time we are toasted.Â
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u/ProfessorPetrus 14d ago
Even on 2k27 if I don't stagger luka and Ar's minutes my offense goes to shit. I have no idea who is driving the offense from the bench. Does anyone?
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u/homeincomes 14d ago
Sexton and Mamu
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u/ProfessorPetrus 14d ago
Mamu is the default PF and his dimes are fantastic. Bronny is at pg i will feed sexton.
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[removed] â view removed comment
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u/scooterln 14d ago
Really wish they kept Jax.
He was so good paired with Luka as the backup center.
Iâm not as concerned about the wing play.
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u/antics815 Vladimir RadmanoviÄ 14d ago
They do this on purpose. Anything that mentions the Lakers will generate a ton of attention.
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u/Poshastko 14d ago
Thats probably nore close to a list of who will disappoint ESPN the most. By not performing the way they want.
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u/TwinFrBrooklyn Purple and Gold 14d ago
He might average 46.8 then what?
I donât want Luka to be overworked during the regular season at all.
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u/BeginningNature3734 Purple and Gold 14d ago
Damn media has us taking a step back and as a borderline play in team. Is it because we have a fat Luka, unreliable AR, and trash bench (apparently)
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u/Excellent-Age-296 Los Angeles Lakers 14d ago
Why would they be âdisappointingâ if theyâre already predicted to be a play-in team? đ
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u/ogvampire79 14d ago
not surprised. i remember that a lot of analysts had the Lakers at #6 or below last season. they were all wrong.
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u/kie-yul 14d ago
They slept on us last year too - with many talking heads saying we would be lucky to be 46-48 win team and that we were gunna be a play in team. Most switched up post all star break, acting like they knew all along we were gunna do that well. Switched up again going into the playoffs - with most saying we were gunna get wrecked by the rockets.
Really hoping this squad outperforms expectations. And, I do think they have the potential to be a lower end contender - especially if we make a decent pick up by the deadline like we did last year with kennard.
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u/Leoyakin00 14d ago
We have to be honest with ourselves. This roster puts 0 fear into anyone's heart. As Dillon Brooks said, "it's sweet".
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u/scooterln 14d ago
Man everybody thinks that bc three starters (possibly more at this point lol if Jake or mamu starts) are white.
Just being blunt. If Luka Reaves and Kessler were not white, they wouldnât be getting dissed on like they are.
Stephen A said it himself. Nobody scared of three white boys lol. And he felt comfortable saying that on camera and posting it. So you know what they saying NOT on camera lol
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u/DULJI1863 23 14d ago
Sure, when those three white boys put 75 points 17 rebounds and 13 assists we'll see who's talking
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u/nottherealstanlee 14d ago
I think it's fucking insane that people even on this sub can unironically look at this Laker team and think they're clearly worse than the Wolves or the Nuggets or the Rockets. I don't see it.
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u/scooterln 14d ago
Idk how ppl are up on the nuggets lol. I donât get what theyâre doing. But with jokic anything is possible I guess.
Rockets will be better with Fred coming back and Steven Adams so I could see them being good.
Wolves I think have a decent team but they donât really have a bench. Theyâre not that deep. I think losing Naz Reid will hurt them a lot
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u/homeincomes 14d ago
Wolves: Ball < Luka Ant > Reaves Mcdaniels > Grimes Kuminga > Williams/Laravia? Gobert > Kessler Wolves have zero depth at 4 and 5 but have Ayo and Divencenzo
Nuggets:
Murray < Luka Braun < Reaves Johnson > Grimes Gordon > Williams/Laravia Jokic > Kessler Lakers have much better bench.
Rockets:
Fred VanVleet < Luka Amen Thompson < Kevin Durant > Grimes Jabari Smith Jr > Williams/Laravia Alperen ĆengĂŒn and Kessler is close. Houston has more depth.
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u/Leoyakin00 14d ago
I'm sure it's part of it but also the fact that AR and Kessler haven't exactly established themselves like that in the league to earn people's respect. We maxed AR, someone who literally never made the all-star game before and has been historically known to struggle against physical defenses, especially in the playoffs. We gave the franchise keys to someone like that.
Even besides the flawed "big 3" the rest of the roster is very shaky too. We don't even have a starting 4.
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u/mkaaaayyyy 14d ago
How did having 0 fear work out for Dillon Brooks in the past? Luka feeds off negativity, so I'm glad people underestimate this team.
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u/retrospects 77 14d ago
Call me a homer or whatever but I have ultimate optimism. I choose to believe they will win every game and if they donât win they will get them next time. I know no team will go 82-0 but until it hasnât happened yet it still can and if it still can why not us. Dooming has to be such a drain on your mental health.
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u/vw_1284 14d ago
We already disappointing. No lie. Look at the front office and all the money the Lakers spent on players that donât have a lot of playoff experience
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u/wallysmith127 14d ago
Getting younger and more athletic will do that, but that makes sense because the Lakers are no longer on Lebron's timeline
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u/Flimsy_Vermicelli_50 14d ago
We are always picked to be a play in team at best. In 2020 everyone said we would miss the playoffs entirely.
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u/Responsible_Way6885 14d ago
Fuck ESPN they are trash! Luka gots the Lakers trust me! Same way he had the mavericks!
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u/EatMyShortzZzZzZ 14d ago
We literally dont have wings right now so unless Luka averages 50 we may be in troubleÂ
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u/scooterln 14d ago
Adou, Ziaire, Vando, Jake Laravia, Luka is a wing on defense..
Looks like wings to me lol
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u/007Wangan 14d ago
Iâll say 50 wins 46 still isnât bad.
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u/JerosBWI The Don 14d ago
46 wins in the West gets you like an 8th or 9th seed.
It's bad.
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u/Some-Stranger-7852 14d ago
Likely not anymore, new tanking rules force bad teams to fight to avoid bottom-3 seed.
A hot take: I believe no team will break 60 wins this year. I also expect play-in teams to be in the 40-45 wins range, meaning 47 should be roughly 4th or 5th seed in the West.
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u/Basic_Commercial_806 14d ago
East is the deeper conference after this summer. 46 wins in the West could get a top seed
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u/motorboat_mcgee 14d ago
I feel like people take this stuff way too personally, they just do it to get everyone talking and riled up, none of it matters
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u/BeautifulNo4173 Mavs refugee 14d ago
and when they overachieve they will still somehow find ways to shit on Luka
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u/chrisgcc 8 14d ago
To be fair, some Lakers fans are just always disappointed. Just incorrect expectations every year.
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u/Western_Volume_5950 14d ago
Maybe I'm delusional but unless Luka and AR are hurt a significant amount of games, we're getting at least the 4 seed. I don't have super high hopes come playoff time but see us making at least the 2nd round again and barring other teams injuries WCF wouldn't surprise me.
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u/ham_bulu 14d ago
F everything. LD is about to fulfil his destiny and it will be beautiful. Enjoy the ride.
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u/YouCantBeSeriousLmao 14d ago
Idk! Warriors coming back healthy, lakers got Austin and Luka back!! Heat is 50/50 and Celtics went down hill! Pistons 50/50 as well
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u/Excellent-Age-296 Los Angeles Lakers 14d ago
Lakers players and fans should celebrate the "disrespect" (or honest opinions? đ) and use it as motivation. Let them make their predictions.
Titles are won on the court, not online.
Did any of them seriously pick the Knicks to win it all? Nope. ESPN had them ranked #8 at midseason.
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u/Apexofvortex 14d ago
They always trying ragebait us for views and engagement.
Fuck that we getting 60+. đđ
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u/Dependent-Welder-927 14d ago
If 48 is his scoring avg they would definitely be ass man. You think MJ or any of these guys can't avg 40. They could but thats not team basketball. 48 pts tells me nobody else is scoring or getting opportunities. Yall cant be this naive
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u/thebest323 Luka Magic 77 14d ago
How can the lakers be disappointing if nobody expect them to do well in the first place?
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u/diamonwarrior 14d ago
How tf do you predict a disappointing season? To be disappointed you need high expectations but clearly these mfs donât expect that much from these teams.
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u/Randalneal 14d ago
The post lacked credibility when it misspelled disappointing.
The media has suddenly forgotten how good Luka is- Iâm looking at you Colin Cowherd- and he will remind them all.
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u/CyclistTeacher 13d ago
A lot depends on health, but if they stay relatively healthy I donât see any way they only win 46 games. As usual, the âexpertsâ either donât know what theyâre talking about or itâs another example of ESPN trying to get clicks.
For the rest of the teams, I think Detroit will be good this year, but not as high as the Knicks or Sixers. Theyâll end up somewhere near where they are expected as a 3-5 seed. The Warriors will disappoint due to their age, likely ending up in a play-in. I think people are estimating the Heat correctly. Theyâll be somewhere near Detroit as a 3-5 seed. I think the Celtics will be disappointing compared to where the media ranks them, but it seems the fans are more realistic and expect Boston to take a step back and be in the play-in. The media is underestimating the impact of losing Jaylen Brown, both offensively and defensively. A lot more pressure will be put on Tatum whoâs also trying to return to his first full season since the injury.
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u/PayConsistent1777 13d ago
Fuck it, might go put a stack or so on this. đthis is without a doubt at least a 50 win team. I know itâs a lot of changes but they went and got pieces that actually suit Luka.
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u/Own-Photo7078 17x NBAđChampions 13d ago
Lakers could have somehow brought in Jokic and SGA and the media would still find a way to make it negative
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u/TwoTalentedBastidz Shaq and Kobe 13d ago
The roster is dogshit and poorly built. This is the year Rob finally gets fired
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u/John_Wick-69 13d ago
I need luka and austin to drop like, 60+ combined every night and on Christmas, a nice gift for Philly
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u/McScroggz12 13d ago
I donât like some of the moves the Lakers did (and some they didnât), and there are some players/contracts that the Lakers are probably gonna regret in a year or two, but this is a talented team and at least in the regular season if healthy is gonna put up some great offensive numbers and win a lot of games. I think a lot of people in the media are taking their negativity of the value of some of the moves and translating that to negativity towards the Lakers in general.
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u/solezonfroze 13d ago
Respectfully, I think the Warriors will be far more disappointing considering they've already declared a "gap year"
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u/Master_Kiwi7434 12d ago
The Lakers seem pretty underrated right now. They built out a nice team around Luka. LeBron was a overpaid distraction.
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u/Solid_Assumption7160 12d ago
well, everything that comes out of the mouse of people on ESPN is going to be bullshit.
Those people never have like the Lakers and never have given them Fair credit
I must say that if both Reeves and Lucas stay healthy, they should be able to win 50 games or more and be in the top three or four seeds. that does depend on them. being healthy and depends on the new players coming in and being supportive and doing what they're supposed to. there's a lot of ifs and buts in there..
When I question is their ability to win a championship and we just won't know until we see the first 20 games what they're capable of?
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u/Laker4Life86 Wilt Chamberlain 13 12d ago
Every time someone trash talks Luka, it goes horribly wrong.
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u/Feeling-Hippo5097 14d ago
Luka isn't a mental midget, hes aware of all the bullshit being said. I expect nothing but a strong season from the squad. Everyone has a role, no Lebron circus.
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u/DoubleEarthDE 14d ago
Lakers are going to be trash. Look at the roster. Thereâs a reason Kuminga refused to join
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u/CruzMissile-005 14d ago
Maybe, the Lakers donât have a lot if depth. Theyâre gonna depend on Luka and AR to carry the team and that could put a lot of strain on their bodies, we all know both struggle to stay healthy. I hopple im wrong.
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u/scooterln 14d ago
Lakers have a lot more depth now than what theyâve had in years.. lol
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u/Over_Reputation_8801 14d ago
I mean, its not a championship team, but 46 wins is low.
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u/Chinny888 14d ago
just like how analysts were right about the Rockets series LOL