Sports
Power Ranking Lakers' Roster Entering 2023-24 NBA Season – Bleacher Report
The 2023 NBA offseason is effectively in the books for the Los Angeles Lakers.
And what an offseason it was.
Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell all got new deals. Anthony Davis inked an extension. Free agency offered up several potential bargains, including the latest addition in scoring big man Christian Wood, who satisfies this squad’s search for a third big man.
The Lakers look formidable altogether, but how do the individual pieces all stack up? That’s the question we’re out to tackle by powering the 14 players with standard contracts for this season based on ability, projected production and significance to this team.
14. Maxwell Lewis
His ceiling is that of a 6’7″ three-and-D wing with some off-the-dribble verve, but he needs plenty of polish on both ends.
13. Cam Reddish
Reddish aces the eye test with good size, length and athleticism, but inconsistencies and inefficiency has plagued him so far. He was a decent buy-low option, but if he can’t capitalize on this chance, he may not get another one.
12. Max Christie
If Christie makes the jump Lakers fans are hoping to see, he’ll make this ranking look way too low in hindsight. For now, though, it’s hard to slot him any higher after he saw just 512 minutes of action as a rookie.
11. Jaxson Hayes
Hayes seems physically capable of controlling the interior as a bouncy rim runner, but his effectiveness in that role has been up and down. His rebounding, shot-blocking and field-goal percentage all have ample room for improvement.
10. Taurean Prince
Prince is approaching his eighth NBA season, having carved out a career on the strength of his three-point shooting (career 37.2 percent) and defensive versatility.
9. Jalen Hood-Schifino
Two-way playmaking is the name of Hood-Schifino’s game, but inconsistent shooting could limit his floor time as a freshman.
8. Christian Wood
L.A.’s newest addition is more talented than several players ranked ahead of him, but there are reasons he’ll start his eighth NBA season on his eighth different team. He can float on defense and try doing too much on offense, but you don’t see this combination of size, skill and athleticism very often.
7. Jarred Vanderbilt
He’s on the short list of the league’s most versatile defenders, and he has flashed a fun blend of finishing and distributing. If he ever found a reliable outside shot, he’d rocket up these rankings.
6. Gabe Vincent
It’s tempting to slot Vincent even higher, as he looks like an excellent on-paper fit with the Purple and Gold and could be coming into his own. Still, we can’t ignore his career 39.9/33.9/85.2 shooting slash just because he had a good shooting run in the playoffs.
5. D’Angelo Russell
Among the rotation regulars, Russell feels the least likely to finish this season on the roster. He is a skilled scorer with an ignitable shot who can create for himself and others, but he is often indifferent on defense and sometimes inefficient on offense.
4. Rui Hachimura
There isn’t a ton on Hachimura’s resume that would justify this ranking, but his playoff performance really felt like an a-ha! moment. He has always had tremendous tools and an ability to score inside the arc, but he had never shown more promise as a defender and outside shooter. Still just 25 years old, it’s absolutely possible he can continue adding to his arsenal.
3. Austin Reaves
Reaves’ thrill ride from undrafted rookie to full-fledged building block launched him into this spot, and there is a non-zero chance he’d slot even higher after this season. All arrows point to a breakout season, perhaps one that mirrors (or even builds on) the level he reached after the All-Star break: 17.6 points on 57.8/44.3/85.6 shooting with 5.5 assists against 2.0 turnovers.
2. Anthony Davis
In a perfect word, Davis would have taken the baton from LeBron James by now, but injuries and an inconsistent place in this offense have stopped that transfer of power so far. Davis is easily among the league’s most impactful defenders, but he sometimes leaves you wanting more on the offensive end. It’s not that he’s incapable of it, it’s just that he isn’t always as involved as you’d like.
1. LeBron James
Presumably, James’ age will catch up to him at some point, but he is 38 years young and showing very few signs of slowing down. He battles the injury bug more often than he used to, but there aren’t many other indicators of age-related decline. Three of his four best shooting rates within three feet of the basket have come within the past three seasons, per Basketball-Reference.
