The Los Angeles Lakers completely blew up their roster this summer, waving goodbye to most of last year’s rotation, including big names like LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Marcus Smart. Talk about a clean slate! The team brought in fresh faces like Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Walker Kessler, and Collin Sexton, leaving everyone wondering if these guys are an upgrade and a better fit around superstar Luka Dončić. Last season, the Lakers notched 53 wins, but with so many new pieces, there’s a big question mark looming: will they repeat that success, or will growing pains lead to a lot more losses?
The Roster Overhaul and the Great Unknown
It’s tough to make any real predictions right now, especially with so many critical pieces gone. We’ve barely seen this new crew together, so any take on the 2026-27 Lakers is pretty much a shot in the dark. How good will that Luka, Kessler, and Austin Reaves three-man unit be? Nobody knows! We haven’t seen Mamu backing up Kessler at the five or even playing alongside him at the four. Collin Sexton running the second unit? Yep, that’s another big unknown. There just isn’t enough data to confidently say how these guys will gel, which is why a lot of fans are asking if the Lakers can even hit 45 wins this season.
Why the Doubters Are Wrong (Again)
Despite all the changes and the current lack of data, history tells us one thing: experts consistently predict the Lakers will win far fewer games than they actually do. And honestly, with Luka Dončić as your top guy, a lot of problems just fix themselves. This dude is a walking win machine. Throughout his career, his teams have only had two seasons where they didn’t finish with a winning record. As long as he’s healthy, Luka is an absolute shoo-in for the All-NBA First Team, and the Lakers should realistically breeze past that 45-win mark. Plus, let’s not forget Coach JJ Redick. Since he took over, LA has won at least 50 games every single season, even with massive roster changes just like this. And then there’s Austin Reaves, Luka’s running mate. Every year he gets better. If he makes another jump this season, we could be looking at an All-Star.
The real kicker, the one thing that could truly derail all this potential, is health. Luka played in only 64 games last season, battling a slew of injuries, including a hamstring strain that ended his year early. Reaves also missed a ton of time, suiting up for just 51 contests. With LeBron no longer around to carry an extra load when necessary, can this new-look LA squad really maintain their winning ways if Luka or Reaves are out for significant time? Last season, the Lakers managed a decent 10-8 record in games Dončić missed, but that was with a different roster and a “lower ceiling” situation. For this team to hit those 50-win expectations and make some noise, staying healthy is going to be the absolute key. We’ll be watching every step of the way once the season kicks off.
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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