There are several stories attached to the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The NBA community is itching in curiosity to witness Bronny and LeBron James play together. There’s also the looming uncertainty over how, rookie, JJ Redick, will perform under the scrutiny-heavy role as the Lakers head coach. But are the primary goals of winning a championship lost amidst all the chaos and ‘reform’ in the camp? A former player of theirs is shockingly 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, Rob Pelinka and Co. haven’t utilized the offseason with great vigor. Essentially, the LA Lakers return unchanged aside from their two rookies on draft night, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

The former is a player Boogie is extremely optimistic about, saying, “I do like the kid from Tennessee that they drafted. I think he could, you know, be an instant impact player for them.” However, DeMarcus Cousins expressed on Run It Back, “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 the LA side’s 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. “I love everything that it stands for, what Bron is doing with his legacy and as a businessman that comes everything with it. I think it’s a beautiful thing,” the former Laker showered praise where it was due. With the joy of playing with his elder son, the former Warrior wasn’t repulsive of that aspect of the Purple and Gold. However, from a competitive standpoint, “I don’t really think the Lakers are serious anymore.”

Why the Lakers seem to have improved this season…

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

Jarred Vanderbilt still has some time to recover. But the former Heat guard has already flattered the head coach. His role provides them with a tenacious point-of-attack defender who posters opposition guards and his physicality disturbs the best of the offensive players. With the Heat two seasons ago, the hooper 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. Jaxson 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 are also the modern philosophies of JJ Redick that have been tremendously accepted by the LA 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 LakeShow 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.