Former champion sounds the alarm on fatal Lakers playoff issue

The Los Angeles Lakers probably went through the most drastic roster facelift in the league this offseason. Their complete starting five from their playoff run last season (in account of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves getting sidelined) is gone, and their front office has brought in a bunch of new faces to help bolster their title bid next season.

Danny Green, a three-time NBA championship who helped the franchise win the title in 2020, recently said that he definitely thinks the Lakers can be a great team in the regular season. That is certainly a plausible claim given that they have an MVP candidate in Doncic and an All-Star caliber guard in Reaves.

However, Green also said that he is unsure about the team being a good squad come playoff time, pointing to the inexperience of their newly added players. The Lakers brought in seven new guys who are expected to be in their regular rotation, and of those players, only Kevon Looney has ample experience in the postseason.

Oh yes, LeBron is gone

The departure of LeBron James likewise plays a part in the relative lack of playoff experience the Lakers will not have to deal with (assuming they get there). There is no player in the league with more corporate knowledge about how to win in the postseason than The King, and his exit from Los Angeles rids the franchise of one of the best closers and playoff performers the league has ever seen.

The reality for the Lakers is that even if they manage to overcome the brutal race in the West and qualify for the playoffs, the postseason will be a way more difficult challenge for them. After all, they are not as talented across the board enough to overcome the inexperience of most of their rotation players. That is the kind of gamble they will be rolling with next season.