ESPN’s preseason predictions just dropped a bombshell, naming the Los Angeles Lakers the most disappointing team in the league before the season even tips off. This isn’t some low-key ranking; they absolutely topped the list for teams expected to “take a tumble this season,” raking in 32 points from NBA reporters in a vote. It’s a bold claim to make about a team built around a superstar like Luka Doncic, especially when they haven’t played a single regular season game.
L.A.’s Massive Roster Gamble and the High-Wire Act
The Lakers clearly made a massive gamble this summer, and ESPN is highlighting the risk. Think about it: LeBron James is gone. Not just him, but the entire starting five from most of their series against the Rockets, a series they actually *won* in six games. That’s a complete overhaul, right? In comes a whole bunch of new faces, many of them pretty unexpected names, which shows the front office’s strategy to fit pieces around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. It’s all supposed to fall perfectly into head coach JJ Redick’s system. With Doncic on the squad, you know they’ve got a high floor, a baseline of talent that can compete. But let’s be real, tearing down almost an entire winning roster and rebuilding from scratch is a risky proposition, no matter who you have. Is it risky enough to make them the league’s biggest flop? That’s what ESPN is betting on.
ESPN’s Haters Are Out Early, But Are They Missing Something?
This whole “disappointing teams” category from ESPN feels like pure clickbait, doesn’t it? They got their clicks, sure, but what are we actually ranking here? If it’s just about who will “take a tumble,” then where are the Hornets or the Clippers on this list? Both those teams traded away their superstars after making the play-in last year! That’s a massive tumble, if you ask me. Instead, ESPN’s reporters voted the Lakers into the top spot with 32 points, followed by the Detroit Pistons with 27 points, the Golden State Warriors with 26 points, the Miami Heat with 22 points, and the Boston Celtics with 17 points. This feels less like a “tumble” prediction and more like a vote on who will simply be disappointing, which is, well, pretty silly considering their other predictions. Earlier in the week, they projected the Lakers to finish with a 45-37 record this year. That’s an eight-win drop from last season. So maybe they’re just doubling down on their own forecasts.
Don’t Be Surprised When the Lakers Prove Them Wrong, Again
You can point to plenty of other teams who should be considered for a “tumble,” but let’s be honest, the Lakers are always the team everyone loves to predict will be worse than they actually are. It’s been this pattern for years, particularly lately. Summers are full of talk about how they won’t even be the best team in Los Angeles, only for everyone to later begrudgingly acknowledge that the Lakers are, in fact, good, just maybe not “that” good. The only real difference this year is nobody is even pretending the Clippers will be good, which, for once, seems like a fair take. So, yeah, we’ll probably see the same old pattern play out. Keep these predictions handy, because we’ll be ready to revisit them in February or March and point and laugh at how off base some of these hot takes were.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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