The biggest question every NBA fan and analyst had this offseason, was where will Lebron James end up come free agency? Will it be the Lakers, the 76ers, the Rockets, or will he stay in Cleveland? The wait is finally over, as Lebron James will now be taking his talents to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. I can honestly say I was not very surprised to see that he wanted out of Cleveland. I mean, he practically carried this Cavaliers team all the way to the finals only to be swept by the Golden State Warriors in four games. It was definitely time for Lebron to take his talents elsewhere, but I still am questioning if going to LA was really the best fit for him.
I think we a lot of fans can agree that seeing James in a Lakers uniform this next year is going to be awesome because a legendary player just joined a legendary franchise. But the question that I still have like many other NBA fans is, was this really a smart move? He's now in the Western Conference, home to two of some of the best teams in the NBA: The Houston Rockets and of course, The "Monsters" also known as The Golden State Warriors. Since he signed with the Lakers, LeBron will have some help from players such as Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and JaVale McGee. But I still think that they can complete their roster by trading for a player like Kawhi Leonard, especially considering the Warriors have become an even bigger threat by adding Demarcus Cousins to their already All-Star filled lineup.
With the lineup the Lakers have now, even with LeBron I do not see them being an NBA finals caliber team this year. Now I am only saying that about this upcoming season because in free agency next year they can bolster their lineup by possibly adding some big-name players including Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard if he is not traded to LA this year. But we shall see when the time comes around a year from now. For now, the Lakers must focus on this season and use the tools they have to give themselves a run at a winning season and try to make the playoffs, a milestone they have not reached for 5 straight seasons. If I had to make a prediction for the upcoming NBA season, I would say at the most the Lakers get into the playoffs and depending on who they would play in the first round they could possibly advance one round but I truly do not see them going any further than that and I would not be surprised if they did not make the playoffs at all. The NBA season is right around the corner though and soon we will have our answers as to whether or not he made the right decision to come to Los Angeles.
