The present Los Angeles Lakers unit looks more than just a competitive unit, and when asked about the one Lakers legend these players would have with the current roster, the fans had some interesting answers.
A Reddit post asking the question garnered some buzz, and fans had Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Magic Johnson as the preferred choices. Here are some of the comments from fans:
“Shaq nowadays would be insane. Nobody will be stopping him.”
“AD needs some help to sure up frontcourt. I’d go with Shaq or Kareem. Never can go wrong with Kobe though.”
“I would say Kobe, but Shaq on this team would absolutely destroy the league.”
“Got to be Kobe. He would dominate this era with the tighter whistles.”
“First thought was magic. They just need a PG!”
“Prime Shaq, Kobe, or Magic on this team would destroy the league. No way they don’t win a chip. Any one of those guys could also carry the team if AD or Bron got injured.”
In our opinion, a prime Magic would be the most astute playmaker in the modern-day NBA, while the likes of Kobe and Shaq would bolster the Lakers on both the offense and the defense. It’s wishful thinking, sure, but all three of the aforementioned players would also be instrumental in guiding the young Lakers into the fold.
The Lakers Believe They Can Win 50 Games Next Season
In what comes as a strong show of self-confidence, the Lakers surely believe that they can win 50 games next season. This past season, they won 43 games, 10 more than the 33 wins in the 2021-22 season that saw them fail to make the playoffs.
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus:
“The Lakers believe they can be eight wins better than last year, but they’re not alone in optimism. None of those polled gave an unfavorable prognosis—albeit the one concerned about the size and another who expects the team to “start the playoffs on the road”—and that’s from a varied cross-section of sources (in other words, non-Laker homers).”
The Lakers’ best record in recent times was the 52-39 record in the 2019-20 season that saw them win the championship, followed by 42 wins the next year. Three of their last four seasons were playoff runs, with one resulting in a title.
They certainly seem poised to go the distance this time, but will they?
