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Everyone seems to have a different opinion about the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. Many believe they should be the favorites to win the NBA title this season with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook leading the way, while others aren’t sold on the NBA’s newest superteam.

Jeff Van Gundy, who watches more than his fair share of basketball nowadays, recently revealed his honest assessment of the revamped Lakers, and it’s clear which side of the argument he’s on.

The Lakers have had an up-and-down start to the season

With LeBron James inching closer and closer to the age of 40, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka knew he had to push his chips to the middle of the table and build a championship-caliber roster as soon as possible.

That’s exactly what he did this offseason as he gutted the Lakers roster and brought in veterans such as Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, DeAndre Jordan, and Dwight Howard to help guide James to his fifth NBA title. The experiment has produced mixed results early on this season. LA is 4-3 through seven games, and the team hasn’t looked too impressive when its three superstars have all been on the court together.

The Lakers still have six months to gel and find their identity before the postseason gets started, but LA fans would’ve liked to see a smoother start out of the gate.

Jeff Van Gundy offers his brutally honest assessment of the Lakers

Stan Van Gundy isn't a believer in the new-look Lakers.
Jeff Van Gundy talks before a game between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy is never afraid to speak his mind. He’s become somewhat of a hot-take artist in his broadcasting gig with ESPN, so whenever he makes an eyebrow-raising comment, you know he means it.

In a recent appearance on The Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe, Van Gundy voiced his honest opinion on the new-look Lakers and their title chances.

I just wonder: Are the Lakers any good? They have a very favorable schedule to start the year, but the real question to me is: Are they good? Because it’s not about collecting talent or names. It’s about, do things fit together? They are an old, old-looking team when they play. Speed and quickness, to me, is gonna give them issues. I just don’t know if they fit well together.

Jeff Van Gundy

Van Gundy continued on to say LA’s trade for Westbrook was a decisive victory for the Washington Wizards, and he’s not sure if that addition makes the Lakers a title contender this season.

“I think they’re a good team,” he said. “I think it’s wildly overestimating their team to say this team right now would be a championship-level team. I just think it’s asking too much of too many.”

Patience is key for Lakers fans

Given the roster turnover LA went through this offseason, it’s understandable to see the Lakers get off to a slow start. James and Westbrook haven’t been able to find a rhythm on the court quite yet. The bench is relying far too much on a 37-year-old Anthony to provide all its scoring. LA’s defense is giving up the fifth-most points of any team in the NBA so far.

The Lakers have more than a few issues piling up early in the year, but James always finds a way to have his teams playing their best when it matters most. In the wise words of Aaron Rodgers: “R-E-L-A-X.”

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.