Former Lakers forward Trevor Ariza doesn’t view his former team as one of the top championship contenders next season, despite praising Luka Doncic’s offensive talent, with Los Angeles’ defense expected to be the biggest indicator of whether it can compete for the title.
The new-look Los Angeles Lakers will be entering the new season, as usual, with high hopes and championship aspirations, but they still have a lot of proving to do before they are considered contenders.
Position
SF
Age
41
Height
203 cm
Weight
95 kg
Birth place
Los Angeles, United States of America
Talking to Ryan Ward of Lakers on SI, former Lakers forward and NBA champion Trevor Ariza opened up on the team’s title hopes next season.
He praised Lakers superstar Luka Doncic and his offensive talent but believes the Lakers’ defense will be the biggest thing that will eventually decide whether they will truly be seen as a championship contender this upcoming season.
 “What I’ve seen from Luka, I would say Luka is very, very good. He’s an unbelievable offensive talent, but what we have seen is that when teams that are not in the top 10 in offense and defense have a hard time winning it all,” Ariza said.
“If a team that Luka Doncic is the primary player on, I think in order for that team to win, the defense has to be a part of that DNA and a huge part of that diet. Until his teams play defense and the defensive rating is high, that will probably be their Achilles heel.”
Ariza not sure about Lakers contender status
For now, Ariza doesn’t believe in the team’s defensive potential, which will be the key factor deciding where they end up after the season.
“Do I think this team that assembled right now is a championship team? You can never really tell this early. But on paper, I don’t believe so, but I’ve been wrong about teams before, and I’m not really paying that close attention to what they’re doing,” he said.
“So, when you have a player like Luka, you always have an opportunity to get into the playoffs. It’s just, are you gonna be able to be a top team in defense and offense, and give yourself a chance to win a championship?”
“That will be the telltale sign of whether the team led by Luka Doncic is championship-contending,” he concluded.
Lakers complete major roster overhaul 
Luka Doncic Austin Reaves Lakers
Credit IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect – Scanpix
The Lakers have completed a major roster overhaul this offseason after losing LeBron James in free agency and bringing in several younger pieces while making Luka Doncic the franchise’s main superstar.
After keeping Luka and Austin Reaves, they also brought in Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, and Quentin Grimes among their biggest summer acquisitions.
Last season, the Lakers finished as the fourth seed with a 53-29 record and went on to make it to the second round of the NBA playoffs, where they eventually got knocked out by the Oklahoma City Thunder after defeating the Houston Rockets in six games.
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