Los Angeles Lakers Championship Odds 2022-2023

The current Los Angeles Lakers NBA championship odds are . Los Angeles was one of the most underperforming teams in NBA history last year after being a preseason favorite and then missing the playoffs entirely. The Lakers suffered several injuries to star players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis; even when everyone was healthy, they could not develop any chemistry together. While many experts believed that longevity could be an issue for them, it was nearly impossible for anyone to have predicted that this catastrophic year would have taken place. To avoid a similar destiny in 2023, the Lakers must improve upon several things. Check below to see what aspects they need to improve on and if they have any realistic shot at being the 2023 NBA Champions!

Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship Odds & Futures 2022-23

All the Lakers’ odds and futures are available in the table below, with the sole exception being their win total. The primary reason for this is likely because there are still trade rumors, including the Kyrie Irving for Russell Westbrook swap. Once the odds for their win total drop, it will be listed in the table!

With as much anticipation as there was preceding the 2021-22 NBA season, it could certainly be one of the most disappointing seasons in Lakers’ history. There have been other moments of disappointment in Los Angeles, but nothing as significant as being a title favorite and then missing the playoffs; even the thought is borderline unfathomable. Still, the Lakers will look to turn things around next season with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook returning to the roster. Any hope they succeed will be predicated on staying healthy, playing vastly improved defense, and shooting it well from deep. In short, there are a lot of contingencies to make for a strong season. If there is good news for Los Angeles, it is that LeBron James has not slowed down. As a matter of fact, he just averaged his most points per game in a season since 2005, a truly ridiculous feat. LeBron and Anthony Davis have proven they can be competitive together, but the depth, injury concerns, and defense will have to work out for it to happen again.

Reasons Why Los Angeles Lakers Can & Can’t Win NBA 2022-23 Championship

Strengths

• LeBron James: We have seen LeBron James take weaker teams to the NBA Finals before, so it would not be entirely surprising to see him will this team to the playoffs; then, anything can happen in the postseason. LeBron might be 37 years old, but he still played over 37 minutes per game last year, a significant amount for any player; he also scored 30 points per game on 52.4% shooting from the field.

Weaknesses

• Depth: The Lakers currently have one of the worst benches in the NBA, and with limited resources, they won’t get much better. Right now, Los Angeles has Stanley Johnson, Austin Reaves, D.J. Augustin, Wenyen Gabriel, Thomas Bryant, and Lonnie Walker IV coming off the bench. Its lack of depth will be an issue, especially considering Anthony Davis and LeBron have suffered injuries recently. If that were to happen again, the Lakers would have no chance of competing for the NBA Championship.
• Shooting: Concerns about the Lakers’ three-point shooting were high before the 2021-22 season, and it turns out they were all valid. Los Angeles ranked in the bottom ten in 3P% and often struggled to get clean looks. This is primarily attributed to the Lakers’ backcourt, which features Russell Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker, an abysmal three-point shooting duo. Additionally, when Anthony Davis does play, he shoots sub-20% from deep. There is little room for the Lake Show to improve from deep unless they make a big splash via a trade.
• Defense: Watching the Lakers last season was painful, to say the least; they blew coverages, got back cut, and lacked communication on defense during the entire 2021-22 season. They had enough offensive talent to stay relatively competitive against better teams, but it was not nearly enough to cover up their defensive issues. Los Angeles finished 28th in opponent points per game, 21st in defensive efficiency, and allowed the second-most points to opposing point guards, mainly due to Russell Westbrook’s struggles on that end of the floor. Westbrook got beat on straight-line drives way too often, making the defense vulnerable to kick-outs for clean looks or drop-offs for dunks. It’s difficult to imagine much changing from last season to this season with similar personnel on the floor.