The Los Angeles Lakers had a drastic offseason of changes by losing LeBron James and adding Walker Kessler as the biggest moves. Various other role players joined and left the team to make fans question if they have a realistic path towards NBA Championship contention next season. However, a new report from ESPN claimed that Luka Doncic is very happy and “excited” about playing with the team’s new roster.
ESPN’s NBA insiders provided the following news via the bigger free agency updates page:
“Of course, there is upside to the new cast of characters. Walker Kessler is a 7-foot-2 young defensive anchor, Quentin Grimes has 3-and-D capabilities on the wing, Sandro Mamukelashvili is a bruising forward with outside range and Collin Sexton can provide instant offense off the bench and competes on the other end.
A source familiar with Luka Doncic’s thinking told ESPN he was “excited” about the new players and “looking forward to getting to work with this group.”
The Lakers took some risks via adding names on the trade market and via free agency. However, it should be known that all new players have a noteworthy role on a roster led by Doncic. Lakers fans should be content knowing that the franchise player is perfectly content with the roster moving forward.
Why Lakers Received Criticism For Offseason
Fans and media have thrown some criticism towards the Lakers for making some questionable moves. Noteworthy free agents LeBron, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes all left the team after contributing to the success last season.
The Lakers replaced them with Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton as the new blood. It feels like a downgrade talent for talent since no one they added is as good as James. Grimes is being questioned for his lackluster defense joining a lineup with fellow below average defenders Luka and Austin Reaves.
Adding another small guard in Sexton felt strange since they needed help with the wing position. The Lakers sold fans on having a massive amount of cap space this offseason, but they’ve currently lost more talent than they’ve added. Hope to add Jonathan Kuminga for better forward depth could improve the offseason a lot.
Why Luka Doncic Disagrees With Angry Lakers Fans
Doncic expressing excitement about the changes means that he sees the vision of Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka. Kessler was the biggest move after Luka reportedly requested a big upgrade at the center position as his top offseason wish.
Grimes and Sexton provide more scoring for the team to have a fighting chance at scoring once Doncic is on the bench. Mamukelashvili is the only new wing player to replace Hachimura and Kennard, but his style fits in with an offense run by Luka.
Some fans are upset because the Lakers have a very slim chance of contending against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the loaded Western Conference. However, Doncic sees the potential in the new pieces since the franchise is trying to build a roster around his skill set.
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