Lakers News: Pundit Considers LA “Shoo-In” To Make 2024 Finals If Playoffs Break Right

There are a lot of mixed emotions surrounding the first couple of days following free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers. Almost everybody taking a look at their moves along with their new roster can acknowledge that they brought back necessary pieces and got deeper. However, not quite everybody is sold on the fact that they are a championship team heading into the 2023-2024 season.

Gabe Vincent is coming off of a very nice postseason run with the Miami Heat and seeing that he's a career 34 percent shooter from three and has a lot of speed on his side, he'll take over Dennis Schroder's role as backup point guard very nicely. Taurean Prince also has a lot of experience in the league and he brings in size and the ability to stretch the floor as well.

Gabe Vincent court side watching Heat vs Lakers

(Via @swishcultures_) pic.twitter.com/DZfZLtD4wr
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 3, 2023

Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes are the bigger question marks here seeing that they were both lottery picks in the 2019 draft but haven't yet fulfilled their potential. However, this is why they were given smaller contracts and if LA can sign another big soon, Hayes will have more leeway to grow.

The ultimate goal will be for the Lakers to build off of last year and actually push for the NBA Finals this time around. The Denver Nuggets are not going anywhere, the Phoenix Suns are building a super team and the Los Angeles Clippers still have their eyes set on James Harden. However, insider Logan Murdoch believes that if they can avoid a certain team in the playoffs, they'll pretty much guarantee a Finals berth for themselves.

"The Lakers give them the most trouble because they have that size," said Murdoch. "I think that's something to keep looking at especially if the Lakers next year go into the postseason and they don't have to face Denver, I think that they're a shoo-in to go to the NBA Finals because of the way their roster is constructed. They're just a really good team and now they are a deep team."

(Via The Ringer Podcast)

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