Do the Lakers have enough to compete in the West?

The LeBron James era is officially over in Los Angeles and the Lakers have built next year’s squad around Luka Dončić. The Athletic’s Lakers beat writer, Dan Woike, joins Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni to go behind the scenes on the Lakers offseason moves and life after LeBron. Then, Dan ranks the Western Conference contenders and gives his takes on how the Lakers stack up in the playoffs.

Join our Discord! discord.gg/eme2tPcUM2

Host: Dave DuFour
With: Es Baraheni and Dan Woike
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio/Video Producer: Alex Oliver

00:00 - Intro
02:30 - What does the Lakers' roster look like right now?
03:46 - Luka wanted Walker Kessler - and worked to make it happen
05:32 - Kessler raises the floor for the regular season - but the playoffs are a different question
06:43 - Last year's Lakers roster wasn't really built for Luka
08:27 - Is this Lakers team good enough to help Luka take the next step?
10:26 - What's the Lakers' starting line-up?
12:24 - Jonathan Kuminga is a name the Lakers are trying to get - but he doesn't fully slot in
15:08 - Mamu is a regular season winning machine - but might get hunted in the playoffs
15:52 - Can Luka be a defensive riser in the playoffs?
18:32 - Where do the Lakers rank in the West - and do they have finals aspirations?
22:31 - Is there a team in the West that could surprise everyone this season?
24:41 - Minnesota are a different team with LaMelo Ball - but missing a key piece
25:57 - Where does LeBron fit best?
27:53 - Rank these four teams: Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets and Wolves

Full Episodes Playlist: youtube.com/playlist

Shorts Playlist: youtube.com/playlist

Thumbnail credit: Alex Slitz / Staff / Getty Images North America via Getty Images