Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship Odds 2023-24

The current Los Angeles Lakers NBA championship odds are . After a busy trade deadline last season, and a dash of injury luck for Anthony Davis and LeBron James, the Lakers fought their way to the Western Conference Finals before being bested by Denver, the eventual champions. The arrivals of D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba, Rui Hachimura, and Malik Beasley sparked a resurgence in Los Angeles, a squad that was otherwise in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Now, the Lakers return all of their major contributors, while also bringing in Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis, Jaxson Hayes, and Taurean Prince. Will this be enough to get over the proverbial hump and make an even deeper run in the 2023-24 season?

Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship Odds & Futures 2023-24

After the All-Star break, there was not a team that had a hotter finish to the 2022-23 campaign than the Lakers; they rode that momentum straight through the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies and the No. 6 seed Golden State Warriors. Can they build on those flashes of greatness, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, and put together an entire season of dominance?

As always with this team, that question can be determined by health. The additions of Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince are particularly promising, as the Lakers have vastly improved their backcourt and wing depth. Few teams have a better tandem than Anthony Davis and LeBron James, while also boasting three very talented guards (Vincent, Russell, and Austin Reaves) and a number of rangy wing players (Vanderbilt and Hachimura.)

There are a number of reasons why the Lakers can (and can’t) win the 2023-24 NBA Championship, and all of them are listed below!

Reasons Why Los Angeles Can & Can’t Win NBA 2023-24 Championship

Strengths

• Star Power: LeBron James might be in his late-thirties, but he is fresh off averaging roughly 29 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists per game on 50% shooting from the field last year. James and Anthony Davis both missed quite a bit of time last season; however, when they were both healthy and playing, they were tough to beat, particularly late in the season, after the Lakers made a number of impressive acquisitions. LeBron looked worn down in the playoffs at times; however, a portion of that fatigue could have come from a foot injury that he was dealing with for a matter of months. As long as James and Davis stay healthy throughout the 2023-24 campaign, they can win their second ring together.
• Defense: Before the Denver Nuggets decimated the Lakers’ defense, they had been arguably the best team on that end of the floor, boasting the lowest combined defensive rating in the first two rounds our of every playoff team. Here’s what we learned: Anthony Davis is still amongst the best, if not the best, rim protectors in the league when he is healthy, and this Lakers team can defend the perimeter as well as any. Los Angeles held Golden State to 35% from deep and the Grizzlies to 31% from behind the arc in the postseason. Virtually every player in the Lakers’ rotation will be able to defend at a high level and that could be enough to warrant betting on the NBA Championship odds.

Weaknesses

• 3-Point Shooting: Last season, the Lakers ranked 25th in 3P%, and their postseason shooting was even worse. If it weren’t for Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura shooting 44% and 49% from deep, respectively, the Lakers would likely have been a sub-30% three-point team in the playoffs. Bringing in Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince is not enough to move the needle here. Los Angeles desperately needs LeBron to shoot better from deep and for either Cam Reddish or Max Christie to emerge as a consistent three-point marksman.