via Barrystickets.com

Rookie Class:

The Lakers really are not looking to build through the draft, and this was made evident by the haul of first-round picks they gave up in the Anthony Davis trade. The organization did not draft any player from the 2019 NBA draft. Zach Norvell and Devontae Cacok were signed outside of the draft this summer and will look to find roles on this team throughout the season. The team will have their key roles already assigned, but other role-player positions will be up for grabs. Talen Horton-Tucker was drafted by the Orlando Magic in the 2nd round but quickly traded to the Lakers for cash and a future 2nd round pick. He also joins the competition for some minutes, but the Lakers are in no mood to experiment with unknown talent. They are fully bought into the win-now model.

Most Exciting Player:

There are two ways you can go with this and both are extremely justifiable: LeBron James or Anthony Davis. Given that Anthony Davis is the new piece brought onto the team I am more excited to see what he is able to do this season. Anthony Davis has gone into most seasons with the hope of making a big leap and entering the MVP conversation. Year after year this narrative has fallen apart for a couple of different reasons. The two main causes have been team success and health. This season he should be able to overcome both of those obstacles. Yes, he already has a thumb injury but this seems to be a minor issue at this time. For the first time in his career, he will be alongside someone else with generational talent. LeBron James will obviously decrease the burden Anthony Davis has to carry and vice versa. What this will allow is for each player to be more fresh and better maintain their bodies throughout the season. Ultimately this will translate to wins on the court and position them for a deep playoff run. LeBron has already come out and given his support to having the offense run through Anthony Davis this season. I fully expect Davis to be involved in the MVP race this season as he makes a large impact on one of the top teams in the league. This is the time for him to fully live up to all the expectations set for him since the day he entered the league.

Westgate Over/Under: 49.5

The Lakers last season went 37–45 but there were many roadblocks at that time and the roster construction is completely different this season. This season the Lakers are poised to make one of the largest increases in win totals from last year. If this team is able to stay fully healthy they will be able to cruise through the regular season. When a team has two of the top 5 players in the league they will be competitive on every single night of the season and have the potential to knock off any team in the league. There will be some nights that the role players must step up to the plate in a big way, but many times they will also get away with average performances. This season at full strength I can easily see the Lakers surpassing the 50 win mark.

Happiness is a Function of Expectations:

I have three words to describe the expectations in the Lakers organization this season, “Championship or bust”. When the Lakers mortgaged their future this summer in the acquisition of Anthony Davis they made their intentions fully clear. No matter what the cost, they wanted to pair LeBron James with one of the top young players in the league and take advantage of the changing NBA landscape to win a championship. The Lakers built their roster with top talent, veteran presence, and young scrappy players. I’ve talked a lot about Anthony Davis so far but let’s not forget that LeBron James is still on this team as well. He seems ready to prove many people wrong who assume that the torch has officially been passed to Kawhi or Giannis. Look for LeBron to make a statement throughout this season and try to re-establish himself on top of the throne once again. Some of the veterans they signed to fill out the roster have undoubtedly had some struggles but this is their chance to get things right and find success once again. The Lakers now hope to be the organization that can attract veteran players willing to sacrifice their minutes and money to have the opportunity to contribute to a championship. The Lakers, rightfully so, have gone all-in and I can’t wait to see how this turns out.