Ceiling, floor for Los Angeles Lakers: A championship is within reach

 The Los Angeles Lakers are championship contenders after a strong re-tooling effort by GM Rob Pelinka. 

Ceiling: 49-35 and a championship run 

The Lakers have all the tools to be a championship contender. Adding Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood and Taurean Prince gives the roster an extra dimension, while Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Jalen Hood-Schifino will ensure there is some youth with upside to provide a spark off the bench. Still, the presence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is what will be the true difference-maker.

After a flurry of moves at the 2022 trade deadline, the Lakers made a deep postseason run. Every primary impact-maker from the playoffs is still on the Lakers roster. However, the true swing factor will be Davis. The All-Star forward has to step into a leading role this season. James has declared his willingness to take a step back on multiple occasions. If Davis can stay healthy and head coach Darvin Ham can put him in positions to succeed, the Lakers will be a serious threat. 

Pelinka has put the building blocks for success in place. Most players on the Lakers roster are familiar with the system and each other. Los Angeles has tradable assets to upgrade if they struggle out of the gate. And they have two top-10 or top-15 players leading the way. A championship run isn't out of the question. 

Floor: 42-40 and a second-round exit

Relying on an aging James and an injury-prone Davis has its risks. Should both stars get injured, the Lakers are slightly better than a play-in team. Ham is entering his sophomore season as a head coach and can't be relied upon to galvanize a squad missing its two best players. Los Angeles' hopes of success are encased in a glass house. 

There is also the concern of disgruntled role players. Pelinka has ensured the Lakers are deep. However, with such depth comes a lot of egos to manage. Keeping everybody on the same page could prove difficult. Ham also needs to evolve. In his second year as head coach, he will need to implement new wrinkles to his game plan. Expecting to run things back exactly how they were is a recipe for disaster. 

Expectations bring pressure. Playing alongside LeBron and Davis will ensure the spotlight shines brightly. Arguably brighter than most on the roster have experienced before. Pressure can make or break a championship run. It won't be until later in the season that we see whether the Lakers thrive or crack under the pressure.