Will Doncic usher in an MVP season? Lakers supporters are optimistic that the team will complete its transformation in the new season

Translator's Note: The original article was published on CBS. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (October 8, local time). The dates and times involved are all local time. The opinions expressed in this article have nothing to do with the translator or the platform.

In the first round of last year's playoffs, the Timberwolves beat the Lakers to a pulp. The Lakers' weak frontcourt rotation and lack of overall lineup depth have been exposed. In Game 4, they used the same lineup throughout the second half. Their base defense failed to hold up, and their double-team attack on Anthony Edwards was equally ineffective. They struggled offensively, especially late in the game. Head coach J.J. Redick looked back in late September and said they weren't physically ready for that series.

Can the Lakers avoid the same fate in the 2025-26 season? Luka Doncic appears to have addressed his much-discussed fitness issues, and Redick plans to prepare for the playoffs in a different way. Their rotation will be different, but not earth-shattering: Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake Laravia have arrived, and Dorian Finney-Smith's Lakers career is over just six months after it began. With Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reeves, the team has strong offensive capabilities, but other than that, they don't have many distinctive characteristics. However, this time, they have a full season to build on this foundation and build a more solid tactical system.

Situation Analysis

Last season: The Lakers' record in mid-December was 13 wins and 12 losses, but by the time they completed what could be called the largest deal in NBA history, their record had improved to 28 wins and 19 losses. On February 1, they sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Jalen Hood-Schiffino, a 2029 first-round pick and the 53rd overall pick in 2025 to the Mavericks in exchange for Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. Doncic was injured at the time, and the Lakers cautiously allowed him to gradually return to form. But even so, coupled with James missing two weeks due to a groin injury in March, the Lakers ultimately ranked third in the Western Conference with a record of 50 wins and 32 losses. However, they definitely don't look like a higher-seeded team in their series against the Timberwolves.

During the offseason: The Lakers did not provide James with an early contract extension. When James exercised his $52.6 million player option, Rich Paul issued a statement to ESPN, which made James' future with the team uncertain. However, Doncic's future with this team became much more secure, and he signed an early extension as soon as the rules allowed it - a three-year max contract with player options. This means that Doncic may enter the free market as early as 2028. After the Trail Blazers bought out the remainder of Ayton's contract, the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16.2 million contract (with player options). After the Wizards bought out the remainder of Smart's contract, the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $10.5 million contract (with player options). After Finney-Smith committed to signing with the Rockets, the Lakers signed Laravia with a two-year, $12 million contract. They also re-signed Jaxon Hayes to a minimum salary and surprisingly waived Jordan Goodwin (to facilitate Smart's signing).

Las Vegas season win odds: 48.5 wins, data from BetMGM

Confrontation of Views

Lakers supporters: Get ready for the coronation of Luka Doncic. He's in championship-level shape, just like JJ Redick and the world expected him to be. And it's time for him to win his first MVP award. Eight months later, I still can't believe the Mavericks actually traded him, but it certainly gave the Lakers new life. LeBron has been practicing catch-and-shoot 3-pointers extensively over the summer as he wants to prepare for his first full season alongside Luka. What’s interesting is that when you have two historic playmakers on your roster, a starting-caliber center like Deandre Ayton is easy to come by. Ayton knows this is the biggest opportunity of his career, so he's going to play with energy on both ends. As long as the Lakers' bench can provide stable contributions, they will be a contender.

Lakers doubter: I can’t believe the Mavericks traded Doncic! However, the bad news is: the Lakers are still at least a few pieces away from competing for the championship. Losing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency is a major blow, especially since this roster lacks reliable role players. Sure, I've seen Ayton, Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent, Jared Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber perform efficiently in the past, but recent history shows that counting on them is terrible. Laravia is a step down from Finney-Smith, Smart may end up being a step down from Goodwin, and Ayton will clearly drive Redick crazy. When asked what Ayton would bring to the Lakers, his former teammate Devin Booker simply said, "I mean, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, you know." There is a reason for this.

Supporters of the Lakers: I think we will wait and see! However, Ayton is talking the right way now, and Luka will make his job extremely easy. He's not the typical shot-blocking, hard-hitting big man that Doncic worked so well with in the Mavericks, but neither Derek Lively II nor Daniel Gafford has Ayton's shooting skills and touch. His contract is a bargain, and overall, the Lakers are getting a lot of bang for their buck in free agency. Laravia is exactly the kind of tandem player they need on offense, and he's nearly a decade younger than Finney-Smith.. Signing Smart is a high-payoff gamble: You have to accept the injury risk, otherwise there's no way you're going to use the biennial exception to sign a top-tier defender who can run an offense. Speaking of injury risks, apologies to Vincent! That guy played 72 games last season, shot 37.2% from catch-and-shoot three-point range, and was relentless on the defensive end all season long.

Lakers doubter: Should I apologize just because I remember what happened in the 2023-24 season? Closer to home: I'm curious, in your opinion, what would be a successful season for the Lakers. For me, this is a bit tricky. James has clearly been in win-now mode, and we've seen Doncic lead his team deep into the playoffs, so my instinct is to hold them to a high standard. But when I really think about this roster, I'm not sure this team is a substantial improvement over the team that was eliminated in the first round by the Timberwolves in five games just a few months ago. Realistically, if the Lakers can get consistent production from Ayton and the core of Doncic, James and Austin Reeves is much better than last year, they should be happy. Winning more than 50 games would be a nice plus.

Those who support the Lakers: Your layout needs to be bigger. If Luka can lead the 2024 Mavericks to the NBA Finals, why can't he lead this team to at least the conference finals? The Thunder's defense and depth make them unique, and considering Fred VanVleet is also injured, I don't think the rest of the West is that scary. By the way, don't pay too much attention to the Lakers' numbers last season when the Luka-LeBron-Reeves trio was on the floor -- their luck from three was just awful, and the sample size was small.

Lakers doubter: I think your pattern needs to be bigger, from the perspective of what this season really means to the Lakers. James will be 41 years old in December. Regardless of whether this is his last season, the management is actively planning to find the next superstar partner for Doncic. This summer, that meant staying flexible; instead of trading future draft picks to maximize their chances of contending in 2025-26, they signed three role players to two-year contracts and let Finney Smith go (because he wasn't interested in their two-year offer). Not only did you severely underestimate the Nuggets, but you also underestimated the Timberwolves, Warriors and Clippers, but I think the biggest mistake you made was overestimating the importance of this season to the Lakers. Of course, they want to win every game, but the larger goal is to build a new, sustainable winning system around the 26-year-old's facade. This makes perfect sense! But this is also the reason why their current lineup depth is far from the level needed to compete for the championship.