Are the Lakers Desperate to Win Now? ESPN Says They Should Be...

The Lakers are always in a win-now posture, though win-now doesn't always mean exactly the same thing from year to year. ESPN has an interesting story up looking at the level of proverbial win-now desperation each team across the league ought to feel. The Lakers landed at fourth. Why? Because they have a roster that's pretty much set, without much draft capital or salary cap space to make signficant changes should the formula be a little off. And if things go wrong, the (broader) theory goes, so does their ability to keep Luka Doncic happy, and in purple and gold. So are they right? Sort of? Certainly Zach Kram (who wrote the story) correctly diagnoses the box the Lakers are in, and notes that they are now, and could remain, in a tier that's behind the Thunder and Spurs in the West, given how young those teams are, and their current level of excellentness. But LA does have a chance to improve this upcoming offseason, and if they've chosen the right guys this summer -- especially players like Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes -- they should be positioned to be a very good team for a few years, at least. And Luka Doncic will tell you a solid team with one other very high end player (i.e. Austin Reaves) and Luka Doncic on it? That's good enough. That's the level of belief he has in himself. And there's some proof of concept there. The Mavs team he took to the Finals was not expected to get there. Weird things happen. Poorly timed injuries, and all that jazz. The Lakers are really in a tier of about 10 other teams that legitimately believe they have a chance to win a championship with a little luck and some good timing. So are all of those teams wrong, just because the West has two squads that should be elite for a while? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers should be desperate? SEGMENT 2: Does ESPN get it right? SEGMENT 3: A long list of "second tier" contenders. PHOTO CREDIT: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Square Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/NBA ! #squarepod KALSHI Today's episode is brought to you by Kalshi. For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel This season, FanDuel is making the excitement go beyond what happens on the field with the all-new FanDuel Rewards Club, featuring exclusive offers, surprises, and more. Every week, check the FanDuel app to see what’s waiting for you or visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)