There are several stories attached to the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The NBA community is itching in curiosity to see just when Bronny and LeBron James play together. Moreover, there is also the looming uncertainty over how JJ Redick will perform under the scrutiny-heavy role as the Lakers HC. But are the primary goals of winning a championship lost in the process? A former player of theirs is struggling to take them ‘seriously’.

DeMarcus Cousins, who donned the Purple and Gold for one season is aware of the weight of the jersey. The expectation for the legacy franchise correlates to winning titles. In his opinion, they didn’t utilize the offseason with great vigor. Essentially, the Lakers return unchanged aside from their two rookies, Dalton Knecht and Bronny.

The former is one player Boogie is extremely optimistic over. “I do like the kid from Tennessee that they drafted. I think he could, you know, be an instant impact player for them,” he said. But still, Cousins feels “they had a lot of concerns last year that I don’t think really were addressed,”.

Off the top, the Lakers suffered drastically to limit their opposition inside the paint. They averaged the ninth most points conceded in the paint. Additionally, they also ranked dead last in offensive rebounding, a figure that reflected their poor management of opposition second chance points. With Christian Wood injured and Jaxson Hayes still untested, the onus once again seems to have fully shifted on the shoulders of Anthony Davis.

Redick though has boasted about wanting to play him majorly as a power forward, leaving the paint essentially unguarded. The difficulties come against the likes of a domineering center such as Nikola Jokic, who feasts inside the paint. After he played the driving role in their elimination last season, Rob Pelinka hasn’t made any additions that could make the lives of such centers difficult.

The one thing that Cousins does find “dope” is the legacy-building season for LeBron James. With the joy of playing with his elder son, the former Warriors wasn’t repulsive of that aspect of the Lakers. But from a competitive standout, “I don’t really think the Lakers are serious anymore,” he said.

Why the Lakers seem to have improved this season

Among the major reasons the Lakers couldn’t be fully evaluated last year was their health. The likes of Gabe Vincent, Jared Vanderbilt, and Hayes all suffered major injuries. The trio can be electric defensive anchors, and play with high energy. Under the eyes of Redick, playing with ferocity is being prioritized, and the team remains mostly healthy.

Vanderbilt still has some time to recover. But the former Heat guard has already flattered the head coach. Redick in particular loves having his capabilities on the Lakers. His role provides them with a tenacious point-of-attack defender who posters opposition guards. His physicality disturbs the best of the offensive players.

With the Heat two seasons ago, he limited Jalen Brunson to shooting just 41.6% from the field. Furthermore, Despite his small stature, he can be a switchable defender, holding his own against forwards. Hayes is another battery that can solve the Lakers’ offensive rebounding worries. If adjusted to per 36 minutes, the 7-footer is averaging 2.5 offensive boards in the preseason, a number to rival the likes of Nikola Jokic.

Then there is also the modern philosophies of JJ Redick that have been tremendously accepted by the Lakers. The Purple and Gold are playing with great pressure on both sides of the floor and are moving into a heavy shooting offense. It might take some time to click, but there is potential for the Lake Show to do much better things than last year if their roster can stay healthy.

Do you agree with Cousins or do you feel the Lakers have a shot to compete? Let us know your views in the comments below.