ESPN has released their annual forecast for the upcoming NBA season. They have the Los Angeles Lakers finishing 12th in the Western Conference, which is what they predicted for the franchise last season. The forecast predicts that the Lakers will win 30 games next season, which is six games less than what they predicted last year and three games more than the Lakers actually won last season:
ESPN Summer Forecast, No. 12 in West: Los Angeles Lakers (30-52). #ESPNForecast
http://t.co/ts8L8eorlc pic.twitter.com/3GvFXxMuM5
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 12, 2014
Last season, the Lakers finished 14th in the Western Conference and actually did worse than the prediction. No one could have accounted for the multitude of injuries that plagued the Lakers last season. Injuries were the biggest reason the Lakers performed so poorly and there is no doubt that the Lakers would have won more than 27 games if everyone on the roster was healthy last season.
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With an injury-free roster and a handful of new players, the Lakers have gotten considerably better than last season. Furthermore, the return of Kobe Bryant should also play a significant role in the amount of games the Lakers win next season. The 30 games predicted by ESPN is a bit sparse, even in the competitive Western Conference. The Lakers should play better than last year and may surprise a few people this coming season.
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