The NBA offseason has come and gone and the 2023-24 season is upon us as the Los Angeles Lakers travel to take on the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Opening Night this Tuesday.
To no surprise, the Lakers once again have high expectations for this season after bringing back some key pieces from last year’s roster while also making some quality additions.
The NBA is as stacked as its ever been though so the Lakers face an uphill battle to get back into championship contention, even with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster.
Before the season gets underway, our staff went on record and predicted who would win the 2023-24 NBA Championship as well as all the major awards and L.A. predictions in the latest Lakers Nation Roundtable:
Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane):
NBA Finals: Lakers over Celtics
Let’s dream a little! The Lakers vs Celtics in the clash for No. 18 would be an all-time moment in sports, provided, of course, that the Lakers come out on top. The West is going to be tough this season and the Bucks will hopefully have something to say about the Celtics making it through but this matchup would be historic.
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
It takes being a top-tier team to get into the MVP race and the West is such a toss-up I don’t feel comfortable picking anyone aside from Nikola Jokic, and while he may be a worthy candidate, I feel like mixing things up. I’ll go with Giannis to reclaim the MVP award while beating up on the East.
DPOY: Anthony Davis, Lakers
It’s time. Davis has been arguably the best defender in the NBA for years. If he can hit the 65 games played minimum to qualify it’s time to give him the hardware.
ROY: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Early indications suggest that Wemby is everything we thought he would be. The next generational player may very well be here, and his run starts with taking home the Rookie of the Year.
MIP: Austin Reaves, Lakers
This run truly started when Reaves entered the starting lineup for the Lakers near the end of last season. He quickly rose to the point where LA was giving him the ball in crunch time in playoff games, then spent the summer with the best young players in the league on Team USA. I’m predicting that the ascension will continue.
6MOY: Malik Monk, Kings
This award typically goes to a player who can pour in points off the bench, and Monk has become one of the very best at it (thanks in part to getting his career back on track with the Lakers). The Kings offense is explosive and if they light the beam enough times this season Monk should justifiably get some love for 6th Man.
COY: Mark Daigneault, Thunder
This award typically goes to a team that exceeds expectations or makes a big leap, and I’m expecting the Thunder to do just that. I also think, tactically, Daigneault has been really impressive, so he’s an easy pick for Coach of the Year.
Lakers Record: 46-36
The West is ridiculously difficult this season with very few easy wins, and on top of that, the Lakers drew one of the most challenging schedules in the NBA. With parity becoming a reality in the Association, the days of the best teams winning 60-65 games are gone, at least in the West. The Conference will cannibalize itself all season, which means we are in for an exciting year with plenty of movement in the standings.
Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand):
NBA Finals: Lakers over Celtics
The Nuggets and Bucks are probably the favorites in their respective conferences going into the season, but I think the Lakers and Celtics both had really good offseasons and will be in the mix.
With so much star power on both sides, it’s fun to envision a matchup between bitter rivals with the winner taking home their 18th championship.
MVP: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Jokic proved in the playoffs last season that he is unquestionably the best player in the NBA right now. He figures to have another monster season statistically and after losing out on the award last season, I could see voters flipping the narrative back in his direction this year.
DPOY: Bam Adebayo, Heat
Let me be clear in saying that I believe Anthony Davis is a better defender than Bam Adebayo. But with the NBA’s new rules, Davis would need to play 65-plus games to be eligible for the award and I don’t see that happening.
ROY: Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers
This is another one where I think the 65-game minimum rule will come into play. Victor Wembanyama is the obvious favorite here but given his thin structure, I can see him getting hurt a lot throughout the course of the season. If the Spurs aren’t in the playoff mix, there’s a good chance they shut Wembanyama down late in the year whereas Portland is giving the keys to their organization to Henderson, who should also put up big numbers as a rookie.
MIP: Tyrese Maxey, 76ers
Maxey is still only 22 years of age and has improved significantly in each of his three NBA seasons. With James Harden potentially not being in the equation until a trade gets sorted out, Maxey will be the 76ers’ No. 2 option behind Joel Embiid and I think with his talent, he’s in for another big leap this season.
6MOY: Malik Monk, Kings
Monk is starting to develop into the modern day Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams: an undersized guard who comes off the bench and just gets buckets. We definitely miss him in Lakerland!
COY: Rick Carlisle, Pacers
This is one of the toughest awards to predict just because a number of factors could go into it. I have always been a fan of Carlisle as a coach though and think that the Pacers will be one of the surprise teams in the East this season.
Lakers Record: 49-32
The Lakers *should* be able to avoid a disastrous 2-10 start like they had last year and given their added depth they should also be able to tread water if LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis miss time.
The Western Conference is stacked though and the Lakers have a very tough schedule, so I have them falling just short of 50 wins.
Ron Gutterman (@rongutterman24):
NBA Finals: Bucks over Nuggets
I picked this NBA Finals matchup last season and I have complete confidence in it again. These are the two best teams in basketball, and the Bucks’ acquisition of Damian Lillard ensures a more dynamic and complete offensive attack that pushes them ahead of the Nuggets in my eyes.
MVP: Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Most of the best teams in basketball are too top heavy for one player to stand out as an MVP, so I believe Tatum establishes himself as comfortably the best player on one of the best teams in the league. I was between Tatum and Luka Doncic, but I have less faith that the Mavericks will be good enough to warrant an MVP.
DPOY: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
With Lillard in town instead of Jrue Holiday, more will fall of Antetokounmpo defensively. He’ll be up for the challenge, cementing himself as one of the best and most versatile defenders as he claims his second DPOY award.
ROY: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Wembanyama is already proving himself to be a freak of nature in the preseason, and with the hype surrounding him, he’ll only need to meet the minimum game requirements in order to ensure he wins the award.
MIP: Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers
This award typically goes to an already good player that takes the leap to an All-Star, and that is the exact trajectory I see for the high-IQ Pacers guard. He has been a franchise-altering piece for Indiana.
6MOY: Christian Braun, Nuggets
With Bruce Brown taking his talents to the Pacers, Christian Braun takes over his role as the first man off the bench in Denver. He has all the necessary tools to be successful in this role, and a lack of depth on the Denver bench should open opportunities for Braun to shine alongside starters.
COY: Mark Daigneault, Thunder
The Thunder are primed to take a leap this season, and it will be not only behind the strength of their young roster, but also behind a talented coach in Daigneault. If the Thunder finish in the top five or six of the Western Conference standings, then he should absolutely win the award.
Lakers Record: 53-29
I have the Lakers finishing with the second-best regular season record in the Western Conference, as they have the depth necessary to get through the marathon regular season. Even if LeBron James and Anthony Davis miss time, L.A. should have the pieces to keep them afloat and continue to win games.
Matthew Valento (@matthewvalento):
NBA Finals: Lakers over Bucks
This may be the highest I’ve been on the Lakers in a while, but I am also extremely high on the Bucks with their duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Assuming both teams are healthy, the Bucks have enough firepower to make it through the relatively weak Eastern Conference and I believe the Lakers have enough depth to survive a gauntlet of a Western Conference.
MVP: Luka Doncic, Mavericks
While the Mavericks were, to put it bluntly, awful after acquiring Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic is still a phenomenal talent. Dallas did what it could to improve the team and it’ll be interesting to see if it’s enough to get in the playoff mix.
DPOY: Anthony Davis, Lakers
I’m buying into an Anthony Davis “revenge season” after what we saw what he did in the postseason last year defensively, especially against the Memphis Grizzlies. I think Davis is one of, if not the best, rim protector in the league and I expect him to take the No. 1 spot this season.
ROY: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
This is probably going to be the consensus pick for this award. Victor is simply a one-of-a-kind talent. He’s a 7’4” center who has the skills of a guard, can shoot over anyone and of course can protect the rim at a high level. My only concern is he’s going to have to stay on the floor with that slim frame.
MIP: Mikal Bridges, Nets
I was not expecting this kind of scoring leap from Mikal Bridges when he got traded to the Nets, but in 27 games, he averaged 26.1 points on 47.5% from the field and 37.6% from 3. With Bridges now being the No. 1 option for the franchise, I expect this kind of production for a full season, spreading his wings from the way he was utilized by the Suns.
6MOY: Immanuel Quickley, Knicks
After finishing second last season behind Malcolm Brogdon, I believe Immanuel Quickley will continue to flourish in being a scoring punch for the Knicks this season. After playing 81 games last season, his ability to stay healthy and average 14-15 points per game will get him the nod.
COY: Mark Daigneault, Thunder
The Thunder are a team that I expect to make some noise this year and solidify themselves as a top-six seed in the conference. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Lu Dort, this is going to be the year they piece it together and get Daigneault recognition as one of the better young head coaches in the league.
Lakers Record: 48-34
If LeBron James and Anthony Davis play 60-65 games each, the Lakers should be able to solidify themselves with a playoff spot and avoid the Play-In Tournament. Even if either one or both of them miss games, I am confident in the depth of this roster to be able to pull out some wins. I find it hard to believe that this team cannot be in the mix for the third or fourth seed in the conference.
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