The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2026-27 NBA season with almost a brand-new roster, and ESPN's Malika Andrews thinks they'll take a step back from last season. When discussing whether the Lakers or the Boston Celtics will exceed expectations on NBA Today, Andrews revealed she expects them to be in the same boat.
"I see both of these teams as having actually fairly similar paths," Andrews said. "They're both going to be fighting to be sort of in that top six, maybe in danger of falling out of that top six in the league."
Now, the Lakers haven't finished outside the top four in the Western Conference since JJ Redick took over as head coach in 2024. They were the third seed in 2024-25 with a 50-32 record and the fourth seed in 2025-26 with a 53-29 record.
Redick, of course, had a certain LeBron James' **** istance in those two seasons, and that is no longer the case. James is among the many notable names who have departed the Lakers this offseason, with Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard also heading out of town.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are now the only key pieces left over, and they've seen the Lakers bring in the likes of Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin **** ton, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams, and Matisse Thybulle. It is an interesting collection of players.
#record
"I see both of these teams as having actually fairly similar paths," Andrews said. "They're both going to be fighting to be sort of in that top six, maybe in danger of falling out of that top six in the league."
Now, the Lakers haven't finished outside the top four in the Western Conference since JJ Redick took over as head coach in 2024. They were the third seed in 2024-25 with a 50-32 record and the fourth seed in 2025-26 with a 53-29 record.
Redick, of course, had a certain LeBron James' **** istance in those two seasons, and that is no longer the case. James is among the many notable names who have departed the Lakers this offseason, with Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard also heading out of town.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are now the only key pieces left over, and they've seen the Lakers bring in the likes of Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin **** ton, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams, and Matisse Thybulle. It is an interesting collection of players.
#record
3 months ago
