I honestly cannot grasp how we are here after the way last season started and went … until that trade deadline. Everything changed, and as I said last year at the beginning of the playoffs… have people caught on? Do people realize that this is an entirely different team — and have people NOW caught on to the fact that the team got much better this summer?

LeBron and AD missed a combined 53 games last year. That is the key number that will be on my mind. While this season’s team is in an even better position to win with or without LeBron/AD… if the Lakers want great seeding and home court, that number to maybe be cut in half. It’s Year 21 for LeBron James, and what else can be said at this point.

You should understand by now. He showed up again last year and won playoff games; he was relied on to operate as an MVP candidate throughout the season. At one point, he said well, “I’m scoring 30 every night, and it’s not working, so I’m going to try for 40,” … then proceeded to do it and win must-win games essentially by himself. Some nights last year, we knew that this team was going to get blown out and had no chance of winning.

40 became the need from LeBron just for this team to compete in the absence of Anthony Davis… It was a disaster, but somehow everything came together. At the end of the day, they showed us that this duo is still elite as long as LeBron isn’t slowing down and Anthony Davis is only getting better.

Anthony Davis.

Everything I’ve seen from AD has been perfect. He claims he wants to play all 82 games – this is much better than hearing he “hadn’t touched a ball in months” during a crawfish boil interview years ago. I saw Kentucky Anthony Davis in his new NBA body as Wilt Davis last season.

He’s clearly the best defensive player in the NBA and impacts a game unlike any other. The jump shot is wowing teammates. Back to the earlier point, WE JUST NEED ANTHONY DAVIS TO BE ON THE FLOOR. Stanley Johnson believes AD could retire as a Top 10 player ever… but to even begin to walk toward that vicinity, he needs to start logging games/seasons/playoff runs as a dominant player, and NOW is the time for this to take place.

D’Lo seems to be taking his Denver failures personally, and I’m so grateful that the Lakers took care of him and made the investment. The Lakers may not have been playing Denver if DLO wasn’t on the roster, so it’s good to have him back. Reaves/DLO/LBJ really is basketball heaven. This offense has multiple capable conductors, and things should be much easier this season.

Austin Reaves has had one of the quickest ascensions to stardom I’ve ever seen, but the hype isn’t what is important at all. It’s the way he fits on this team. All these players create and unlock for each other, but Reaves can handle scoring duties at times in games, consistently getting to the line. He really is the perfect third option.

Another reason the Lakers are much better: WINGS GALORE. Juan Toscano Anderson was relied on for big minutes at the beginning of last season…. Vando, Rui (young Kawhi), Tauren Prince, Cam Reddish, and Maxwell Lewis are now vying for those minutes. Jaxson Hayes has already displayed his freak athleticism in the preseason, and he and Christian Wood give the Lakers new versatility as backup bigs. When we think of last season, once Thomas Bryant was traded and Mo Bamba never played – the Lakers didn’t really have a backup big.

So bringing these two in, while it may seem small, is still a HUGE UPGRADE. Another interesting dynamic is with the development of Max Christie and the impact of the offseason addition Gabe Vincent as 2 guards. Gabe Vincent hit TIMELY THREES in the playoffs, which is a key for winning any basketball game. Troy Brown did this at times last year, so it’s great to have an immediate replacement that’s already produced on a larger stage.

Rookies…

FINO – Failure Is No Option – JHS is a NEEDED addition. He was not a want. He was a need. A backup point guard that will provide good minutes and keep things organized. This Lakers team was ADDICTED to blowing leads last season, and Jalen Hood-Schifino should be the perfect solution to combat this, not wasting away possessions. His absence was LOUD to Lakers fans when he missed time in the preseason after what the fanbase had become accustomed to in his prior appearances. I think it’s inevitable that JHS will eventually be in the rotation.

Last year was a great start on the journey of this new Laker team. I’m praying for health and expecting abundant success in the upcoming season. We will see what 3 guard lineup Darvin Ham could possibly come up with.