When it comes to the Lakers, only one thing matters.
Are they championship contenders?
That’s what happens when you’re a 17-time championship organization. That’s what happens when guys named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant have worn your jersey. It’s title or bust. It’s Larry O’Brien or 911.
So, when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka learned that LeBron James was leaving after eight seasons in free agency, he had three goals.
He wanted to re-sign Austin Reaves. He wanted a franchise center. And he wanted to fill out the roster with young guys who could dribble, pass and shoot.
And?
“We felt like we accomplished all those things,” Rob Pelinka said Thursday in his first availability since last season ended.
That begs one question.
So, does he believe they’re real championship contenders?
Then came some humming and hawing. A bit of honesty, A tacit acknowledgement that as of now, the Lakers are still nipping at the heels of the West’s juggernauts, ie, the Spurs and Thunder.
“As [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] pointed out, there’s no off-season where you can check every single box you’re hoping to check,” Pelinka said. “But we felt like the major ones we did, and the work continues. But we feel like we’re on the path of being a really competitive championship-level team.”
Being on the path is far from the front door.
But that’s when things got interesting. Redick had a different take. He spoke into microphone, unprompted.
“I’m confident we’re going to develop as a team into a championship-level team this year,” Redick said.
In that moment, it seemed a bit far-fetched. It was the type of thing a coach has to say. You know, lip service, if you will.
But then again, we’ve seen Pelinka’s almost radical belief in the Lakers before, laughed it off and then realized we chuckled too soon.
Remember when the Lakers lost their two leading scorers in Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to injuries against the Thunder on April 2? They were kapuut. Done. Obituaries were being penned in purple and gold ink.
But Redick said the Lakers wouldn’t drop the rope. He pulled players aside to try to convince them to believe. Heck, he had to convince his own coaching staff.
Then the Lakers pulled off the improbable.
Missing their two stars, the 41-year-old LeBron James put the Lakers on his arthritic shoulders and led them past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Nearly everyone who got playing time made monster contributions, including Luke Kennard ephemerally transforming into a star and Marcus Smart channeling his prime.
So, maybe Redick’s words aren’t so outlandish after all.
The Lakers lack perimeter defense. They made a huge gamble on Kessler, who needs to jump from being an elite rebounder and rim protector into a defensive beast for them to have a shot. They need time for their revamped roster to gel.
And in the West, there’s no margin for error.
Not when the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama has spent all summer lamenting blowing double-digit leads in his first Finals appearance last June. Not when reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stewed for months about being sent home in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
Pelinka teed up Redick. He completely revamped the roster around Dončić. He rolled the dice and took risks and put himself on the line for this to work.
The guys have bought in.
Dončić hosted a mini-camp in Slovenia to build chemistry. Kessler claimed he’d run through a wall for the Lakers after they essentially mortgaged their future for him by giving up all their assets. Reaves apparently is already showing leadership qualities.
The building blocks are there.
But it seems improbable that the Lakers could really compete this season.
Right?
There’s something about Redick’s confidence that gives you pause. There was something about him speaking in that moment when he didn’t need to that resonated.
He knows the deck is stacked against him. The Lakers are likely a few tweaks away from being great.
But then again, did anyone think the Knicks were going to win their first championship in 53 years last season? Did anyone have that on their bingo card?
Projections can be wrong.
And Redick believes this roster has what it takes to go all the way, even if it doesn’t look that way.
“The games are not played on paper,” Redick said.
