The internet tossed up a bold question this week. Could a super lineup of Lakers stars roll through the West right now. The post talked up a center in Deandre Ayton, a stopper in Marcus Smart, a shooter in Jake LaRavia, and a slimmer Luka Doncic. One fan said, “Ayton or Smart not panning out is really the death knell to our chances.” The room got loud from there. People compared this idea to what the Thunder did last season and what the Nuggets still are. It was part dream, part scouting report.
Can this team hang with the champs and the big tests in the West
Stack the idea against what is real. Oklahoma City is the defending champion after a Game 7 win and a season that finished with a record of 68 wins and 14 losses. That is the standard the Lakers must meet right now. The Nuggets are still a problem with Nikola Jokic and a reworked cast that wants to fix its defense. The Rockets had noise all summer, but Fred VanVleet’s ACL news changes their picture a lot.
If the Lakers get the version of Luka who puts pressure on the rim and creates for 4 shooters, they have a path. Ayton gives size, soft hands, and a simple vertical threat. Smart brings point of attack defense and late game calm. LaRavia needs to hit open threes and cut with force. The big question is simple. Can they guard long enough to survive the Thunder’s waves and the Nuggets’ reads, and can they keep the floor spaced when the stars sit.
“The Lakers are not even close to the levels of the Thunder and the Nuggets.” – a fan on the internet
Fit, roles, and the Luka question
Luka looks lighter and locked in after a hard summer, and that matters. His usage can stay high without the ball sticking if Smart handles second units and Ayton screens early in clock. Give LaRavia clean catch and shoot looks on the weak side, keep the corners occupied, and play Reaves as a connector who moves the ball and sneaks into space. Do that and the half court math starts to tilt.
It comes down to details. Can Ayton own the glass in crunch time, can Smart stay healthy enough to chase guards for 30 minutes a night. Can LaRavia hold his own on switches. If the answers lean yes, the Lakers can trade haymakers with anyone. If not, they are one cold night away from trouble against the best.
