Can the Lakers become a favorite to win the championship? It is difficult for East Zhan to solve a big hidden danger, and only one player in the five major insiders is useful

Recently, Lakers General Manager Pelinka was interviewed and talked about Doncic and James. Pelinka said: "If there is a wise plan to improve the prospect of winning the championship, we will definitely implement it. Having two super giants, Doncic and James, means a major opportunity. We will do our best to win the 18th championship trophy for the Lakers." In addition, a source close to Doncic revealed to ESPN, "Luca emphasizes the goal of winning the championship every day, and believes that the management will do its duty and recognize the team's team building direction. "

This means that although there are many news that the Lakers are preparing to make a big move in 2027, they will not ignore the needs of James and Doncic, and will also build a championship lineup for them next season and strive for the championship. In fact, during the offseason, the Lakers have already made a certain degree of targeted reinforcement to the lineup, such as signing shooter Laravia, introducing defensive champion Smart, and getting Ayton through the buyout market. In particular, Ayton's joining can be regarded as the most important reinforcement for the Lakers' offseason. They were eliminated by the Timberwolves last season because of the poor inside line. Ayton's joining has made many fans look forward to the Lakers' performance in the new season.

But the question is, even if the Lakers management has upgraded the team as much as possible within their ability, with their current lineup, is there really a chance to become a favorite to win the championship in the new season? Although the Celtics in the East have fallen, the Knicks have risen strongly, the Bucks have completed the lineup upgrade, and the defending champion Thunder is still strong, the Nuggets and Rockets are even more armed, and even the Clippers have introduced a lot of strong aids. Next season, the NBA will undoubtedly be more powerful and melee. If the Lakers want to stand out, they need to solve the team's biggest hidden danger. The hidden danger of

is still a problem with the team's inside line. Recently, US media clutchpoints published a report saying: "The Lakers are praying that Ayton is the person they are looking for. Because if he is not, their center rotation may become the biggest weakness in the 2025-26 season. Ayton is undoubtedly talented, but year after year, he has been difficult to meet his expectations as a true core insider. The depth of the substitutes behind him is worrying: Hays, Kleber, Vanderbilt, Kloco. This means that the Lakers can only hope that Ayton will complete the leap and growth he has not shown yet. Without a reliable fifth position, it is difficult to imagine that this lineup can achieve the deep playoff breakthrough that Los Angeles expects. "

As the media said, although the Lakers' offseason operation looks prosperous, the needle They did not perfectly solve the team's inside problems. In the current five hearts of the team, Kloco is a water dispenser administrator, Vanderbilt has no offensive ability, Hayes cannot play in the playoffs, and Kleber is basically unable to expect anything from him after being seriously injured. Although Ayton is a talent at the No. 1 pick, whether he can play in the Lakers is like a lottery. Even if Ayton perfectly integrates, in fact, he is the only inside player that the Lakers can use in the playoffs. So overall, only Ayton can barely fight hard battles in the Lakers, not to mention Ayton's defense is just as hard as Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Shin Kyung, Davis and others. I'm afraid it will be difficult to resist.

Therefore, if the inside problem is not solved, it will be difficult for James and Doncic to lead the Lakers further even if they are healthy in the new season. Losing to the Timberwolves last season is the best proof. The Lakers currently have a first-round pick to use. It is reported that the Heat are unlikely to trade Wiggins to the Lakers. Then the Lakers can consider using the first-round pick to exchange for the inside in the middle of the season, and at least give the team two insiders who can play in the playoffs. In this way, the Lakers in the new season will have a real chance to enter the championship ranks.