Los Angeles Lakers Preview - NBA Team Previews 2022-23

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Published on October 18, 2022

2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers Team Preview

Los Angeles swapped out nearly its entire supporting cast this offseason, dropping notables like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk and Talen Horton-Tucker while adding Patrick Beverley, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones, Lonnie Walker, Juan Toscano-Anderson and others. Russell Westbrook is still on the roster for Opening Night.

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2021-22 Record: 33-49; missed playoffs

2022-23 NBA Win Total Odds: 45.5 wins (DraftKings)

2022-23 NBA Title Odds: +1800 (DraftKings)

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Check out our 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Projections, customizable for your league settings.

Los Angeles Lakers Fantasy Basketball Preview

LeBron James

Even in a massively disappointing season for the Lakers, James once again defied Father Time, putting together one of his finest campaigns on a per-game statistical basis. The ageless veteran averaged 30.3 points per contest -- his first season over the 30-point threshold since 2007-08. James earned that mark by averaging a career-best 2.9 three-pointers per game and shooting an efficient 52.4 percent from the field. He even improved from the charity stripe, making 75.6 percent of his free throws -- his highest rate since 2011-12. Though his playmaking dipped a bit to 6.2 assists per game, James put up his usual substantial numbers on the boards (8.2 RPG) and even averaged over a block per contest for the first time in 12 seasons. That said, James' fantasy value was impacted by his inability to stay healthy. He often played hurt and sat out 26 games, marking the third time in four seasons that he's played in fewer than 60 contests. The impact of his injuries was especially felt during the fantasy playoffs, as James missed eight of the Lakers' final 10 games. Los Angeles appears increasingly unlikely to make any major additions in the offseason, so James will probably be counted on to carry a heavy load again next to the similarly injury-plagued Anthony Davis and the enigmatic Russell Westbrook. Until he shows tangible signs of a decline in play, it would be imprudent to count James out of being a prodigiously productive player when he's on the court. The question fantasy managers have to wrestle with in deciding how high to draft him is whether the injury risk is worth the per-game reward.

Anthony Davis

There's little debate that Davis is among the game's most talented big men, but his inability to stay healthy has put a significant dent in his fantasy value during the past two campaigns. Last season, he played in only 40 of the Lakers' 82 contests after missing exactly half of the team's games in 2020-21. The impact of his absences was especially painful in fantasy last season, as he played in only three contests beyond the All-Star break. When he was on the court, Davis' offensive numbers -- 23.2 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting from the field -- were in line with his career output. However, he has inexplicably fallen off as a free-throw shooter over the past two years, shooting a then-career-worst 73.8 percent from the line two campaigns ago before falling even further to 71.3 percent last season. His three-point shooting has also taken a hit, and he made an ugly 18.6 percent of his tries from beyond the arc during his most recent campaign. On a positive note, Davis bounced back from a down season in the blocks department in 2020-21 to register 2.3 swats per contest last year, and he pulled down nearly 10 rebounds per game. Davis is one of the few players on the Lakers who is locked in with the organization for multiple seasons, and the team's success next year should again primarily ride on the shoulders of him and LeBron James. From a fantasy perspective, Davis' combination of offensive production and difference-making defensive numbers are salivating. Any questions about his value revolve far more around health than talent.

Los Angeles Lakers Depth Chart for 2022-23

Click ahead for a detailed Los Angeles Lakers Depth Chart.

Los Angeles Lakers Predictions for 2022-23

This team is mystifying. If everyone stays healthy, I think mid-40s wins -- maybe higher if Westbrook is traded for pieces that make sense -- is plausible. But the bench...the bench. Will this team be able to survive opposing second units, let alone 10-20 missed games each from LeBron and AD?

Record Prediction

42-40
8-seed
Loses in first round

Bold Call

Russell Westbrook takes zero shots in a game at some point out of spite.

NBA Award Contenders

LeBron James, NBA Most Valuable Player Odds (+2500)
Anthony Davis, MVP (+6000)
Anthony Davis, NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds (+2000)
Russell Westbrook, Sixth Man of the Year Odds (+3000, PointsBet)
Kendrick Nunn, 6MOY (+5000)