The Lakers will win their 17th NBA Finals, and LeBron James will win his 5th Finals MVP.

The Lakers are going to look different this year, following last year’s disappointing playoff loss to the eventual champion, Denver Nuggets. The organization took advantage of the offseason by making improvements in key areas. Last year, the Lakers bench struggled immensely in the Western Conference Finals versus the Denver Nuggets due to a lack of depth. Thus, general manager Rob Pelinka filled the Lakers’ holes this offseason, adding multiple bench pieces.

For example, Gabe Vincent, a key component in the Miami Heat’s Finals run, was picked up for a relatively cheap contract, considering his production throughout the playoffs last season. An unnamed NBA executive praised this signing, saying, “[Vincent] doesn’t need the ball, can shoot it and makes the right decisions,” he said. “And, he can really defend.”

In addition to Vincent, the Lakers added Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, former Pelican, Jaxon Hayes, and Christian Wood. The Lakers hope to develop these young players into reliable bench or starters this season. 

Not only did the Lakers acquire new players, but they also kept vital players on the roster.

Going into the offseason, over half of the Lakers’ starting lineup was eligible for free agency, but somehow, GM Pelinka managed to retain all of them. Although Pelinka did splurge on Anthony Davis, giving him a 3-year $186 million max contract, his production throughout the 2022-2023 playoffs, especially on the defensive side, was extraordinary. In addition to Davis, the Lakers re-signed Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russel, and Rui Hachimura.

Because of this successful offseason, the Lakers now have four key ingredients of a championship team: star power, defense, depth, and experience.

Lakers’ Star Power

One of the Lakers’ many strong points is their star power. The Lakers have two NBA Top 75 Players of all time in Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who is arguably the greatest player of all time. In addition, the starting lineup also consists of rising star Austin Reaves and former star DeAngelo Russell, who would be the number 2 option on many teams in the NBA. This abundance of talent sets the Lakers apart from other squads, especially in the West, as they are the only team with 2 All-NBA players alongside 2 All-Stars. 

Lakers’ Defense

Another reason the Lakers are bound for an NBA Finals run is their defense. Throughout the second half of the 2023 NBA season, the Lakers had a 110.8 defensive rating, giving them the second-best defensive rating in the association.

In addition, they also have Davis, the best defensive player in the playoffs last year by a large margin. Throughout the Lakers’ 16-game playoff run, Davis averaged 3.1 blocks per game and 1.4 steals per game, with a playoff-high seven blocks versus the Grizzlies. 

In this series against the Grizzlies, Davis even outshone the Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr. This offseason, Jackson Jr. reminisced upon their matchup, admitting he learned from Davis, “I definitely learned that tendencies is everything, especially when you’re going over scouts, you just gotta be very aware because a guy like him, he’s gonna score.”

When the 2023 Playoffs were said and done, the Lakers had the fourth-best defensive rating in the tournament, with a small gap between them and the eventual champion, the Nuggets. With a healthy Davis, this team has the potential to be a top 3 defense this season, and as many know, in the NBA, defense wins championships.

Lakers’ Depth

As mentioned, Pelinka and the Lakers have spent their money this year on players to improve their bench. Since the trade deadline last season, the Lakers have had arguably the best starting lineup in the league with James as captain of the ship, Davis as the defensive anchor and post scorer, Russell and Reaves as backup scorers, and Hachimura as a versatile wing threat. In the playoffs last season, these five provided an excellent defense and a well-rounded offense.  

Adding bench pieces to this stacked starting five will significantly improve the squad’s versatility. Although there might be struggles at the beginning of the season, as almost the entire bench, besides Vanderbilt, is new, they should be able to figure things out.

Lakers’ Experience

Although many attributes must come together to make a great team, experience is the most important in the playoffs. In the case of the Lakers, they have an abundance of knowledge. Not only do they have the most experienced player of all time, James, but the Lakers have other veterans, such as Davis and Vincent, and a winning culture. After all, it has only been three years since the Lakers’ last championship. 

For these reasons, the Lakers are poised to come out on top this season.