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The Lakers’ roster, minus the rookies, is the same. And that roster, despite healthy seasons from the team’s top players, managed just one postseason win.
So can there — or should there — be reasons for optimism heading into a new NBA season a few months from now? Will healthy seasons from Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, who combined to play just 40 games in 2023-24, make a difference?
That’s what Anthony Davis hopes.
“We don’t know what we could have been if we had those guys, especially in the playoffs,” Davis said Sunday from the second day of Team USA training camp. “You know especially Vando because he’s a big part of what we do defensively. But, so we look at the lineup, and you know we come in ready to work.
“And last year is last year. We can’t say ‘Oh this is the same team.’ It could be a different result. For us it’s about coming in with the mindset of getting to work and seeing how it plays out.”
LeBron James, when asked directly for his response to the Lakers’ static summer on Saturday, said he wouldn’t change his approach regardless of who is on the team.
Read more: ‘Growing comfortable’: Bronny James is hit and miss in Lakers debut
“For me personally, my only mindset is to come back [and] be ready to go to work every single day, no matter who’s there,” he said. “That’s just me. I’ve always been that.”
Both Davis and James said they were excited about JJ Redick’s hiring as head coach, though Davis preached patience when it comes to how the team will adapt to Redick and his staff’s systems. He also called it a “partnership” between players and staff.
“We know it’s not going to be done in one day, one week, one month,” Davis said. “But we just got to come in and have this collaboration and take it one day at a time, one step at a time and continue to grow. And we’re in no rush. Obviously, you know, the championship is on our mind, but we’re in no rush to try to get this thing figured out by the end of training camp.”
The Lakers’ front office, similarly, has to be patient as it tries to navigate options between now and training camp. James’ signing for…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-stagnant-offseason-doesnt-worry-230620892.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-07-07 23:06:20
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