Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[The Jom]

Luka and Kyrie, regardless of any other role player move, were always going to be the reason we make the playoffs. Kyrie needs to be available for 65+ games and mesh well with Luka in order for that to happen. Good news on the games played front, all NBA awards can’t go to players playing less than 65 games (there are exceptions) going forward.

That duo just needs the rest of the team to keep the opponent within 10 or 15 points by the last 4-5 minutes of the game. It’s at that point that the duo earns their keep. There is a lot of hope riding on a great bench player (on one of the deepest and best teams in the league) taking on a starting role, 2 rookies making immediate impact, a vet having a resurgent year, a 2nd year player taking a step forward, a 4th year player taking a step forward and injuries not devastating our team like they have every other team in the league.

That’s a ton of hope, and it would be blind homerism to think all of those will happen in the next season. Thinking some of them will happen? Absolutely. Does it matter which ones? Maybe, well, being relatively healthy will cure lots of ills when the other teams get their annual rash of injuries from their usual suspects. Other than that, give me 3 out of the remaining 5 “hopes” and I think that group of role players can do what they’re supposed to do (keep the game close) on most nights.

All fair. What I think you’re missing here is that we need Luka to become the best player in the league. He keeps showing that potential. But conditioning and shot selection hurt his offense, and effort hurts his defense. Solve these 3 things, and he can drag the rest of em to a top 4 finish. Add an effective Kyrie and solid defenders around them, and it’s a championship squad.