The Los Angeles Lakers have made soild acquisitions this offseason, but a panel of ESPN writers and analysts believed the purple-and-gold franchise will still miss the postseason for the second straight time.
The Lakers, which added veteran point guard Jeremy Lin via trade with the Houston Rockets and power forward Carlos Boozer via silent bidding, is hoping their acquisitions would be enough for them to return to postseason play after missing out last season.
However, it appears the moves by general manager Mitch Kupchak won't be enough to sway the tide to his favour, as ESPN Summer forecast slated the Lakers at no.12 in a loaded Western Conference, finishing the regular-season with a 30-52 record.
Sad State for Lakers Nation
Missing the playoffs for the second straight season would be a sad state for the Lakers, given the amount of effort taken by its front office team to assemble a team capable of competing for a playoff spot.
ESPN's forecast on the Lakers' playoff chances might be a little bit underrated, but the team could end up just as low as what the major sports media outfit predicted if injuries continue to bother the team's key players.
Of course, the health of Kobe Bryant will be closely watched throughout the 82-game regular-season campaign after an injury-marred couple of seasons. The 40-year old Steve Nash is another concern for the Lakers medical and conditioning staff, as they try to keep the former two-time MVP as healthy as he can be without compromising his ability to contribute.
Byron Scott's Acid Test
The Lakers will be tested in the first season under new head coach Byron Scott. Expectations will be higher than last season for sure, but the success of the team will all depend on Scott and how he handles the pressure of being the coach of one of the winningest franchises in the league.
The roster might not have the star power previous Lakers team used to have, but it has quality players who can step up their game and become consistent contributors for Scott this season. Lin and Boozer can be those players because they are good pick-and-roll executors, while the speedy growth of rookie Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle would be a big plus for them.
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