The NBA offseason has come and gone as the Los Angeles Lakers will hold their annual Media Day on Monday before beginning training camp. They will then open up the preseason against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Oct. 7.
Before the players speak though, the Lakers kicked off the season by holding a press conference for Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham to discuss the roster they put together.
Pelinka and Ham discussed a variety of topics, including the health of the roster going into training camp. In a rarity, the Lakers will be beginning camp with everybody in attendance and healthy.
“Yes. That is the anticipation,” Ham said at the press conference on Thursday.
Nagging injuries will likely develop throughout training camp and the preseason as everyone works themselves back into game shape, but nonetheless it is great to see that everyone is currently healthy and ready to go.
This is extremely important for LeBron James and Anthony Davis specifically considering they both ended last season nursing foot injuries. The Lakers did not say if either underwent offseason surgery, although both players will likely be asked about it at Media Day on Monday.
Regardless of if any operations took place though, the important thing is that both guys are ready to go for the 2023-24. The Lakers’ championship hopes obviously rest on both of those guys being healthy and it seems that they took their summer workouts seriously to ensure that happens.
Outside of James and Davis, guys like Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell also played heavy minutes during deep postseason runs last year so it’s good to see that they were also able to recover and are ready for camp.
This Lakers roster has more depth than it ever has, which should allow for Ham to limit guys’ minutes during the regular season in order to stay fresh. That will be especially prevalent for James, who is on the verge of turning 39 and entering his 21st NBA season.
Pelinka & Ham excited for what Wood will bring to Lakers
One of the Lakers’ other additions late in the offseason was Christian Wood, a center who can stretch the floor.
While Davis has mostly played center the last couple of seasons, that can be taxing on his body so he may share the floor some with Wood this season to help stay healthy.
Given Wood’s versatility, both Pelinka and Ham expressed excitement about what he can bring to the team whether that be alongside Davis or backing him up.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
