Like many former Los Angeles Lakers stars, Michael Cooper still has plenty of allegiance to the purple and gold. His fandom could explain his wild prediction regarding the 2024-25 squad.
“I still believe — if the cards fall right and the basketball gods shine on us — I think the Lakers can play for a Western Conference championship,” Cooper said on the July 21 episode of his podcast, “Showtime With Coop.” “You have to play for that in order to play for a national championship.”
Seven teams finished ahead of the Lakers in the Western Conference last season, and LA was bounced out of the first playoff round by the Denver Nuggets. After firing their head coach, Darvin Ham, the Lakers hired a replacement, J.J. Redick, with no previous coaching experience.
And through July 21, the Lakers had not signed a single veteran free agent.
Michael Cooper Looks for Silver Lining
Cooper acknowledged the strength of the Western Conference, but he said drafting Bronny James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, could have an impact.
“The West is loaded right now,” Cooper said. “But I think the drafting of Bronny, this is a great moment. First time a player has ever had an opportunity to play with his son on an NBA court. Why not it be in LA?
He also praised LeBron for staying with the team when he could have left for more money in free agency.
“I think LeBron did the right thing,” he said. “He gave up some money so they could go out and get a marquee player, but Klay Thompson got away, [DeMar DeRozan] got away.”
Though the Lakers received media praise for drafting Bronny and first-rounder Dalton Knecht, several outlets don’t share Cooper’s optimism.
On July 22, CBS Sports gave the Lakers a “D” for their offseason, while Bleacher Report graded LA with a “D+” on July 16.
“It seems as though the Lakers have no real plan to build a champion in the present or future, so instead they’re clinging to whatever shred of relevance that’s still available to them,” CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn wrote. “So the Lakers will probably just end up as this season’s sideshow.”
Still, oddsmakers give the Lakers the fifth best chance to win the Western Conference this year, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Cooper Says the First 15 Games Will Show Where the Lakers Stand
Bronny James shouldn’t excite anyone in the NBA. It’s no knock on the kid, but if his father wasn’t with the Lakers, he likely would not have heard his name called on draft day. Sure, he’ll create a buzz around the city, but he’ll do very little — especially this year — to help take the Lakers to the next level.
The Lakers have a lot of work to do. LeBron will be 40 during the 2024-25 season. While he’s still a talented player who can lead a team, he’s not what he used to be. Anthony Davis is another talent, but his history in injuries always come into play.
The Lakers making the Western Conference Finals would be a shocker. The Thunder and Timberwolves are young teams with far more talent. The conference champion Mavericks got better with the addition of Thompson. The Nuggets, two years removed from a title, still have arguably the best player in the league in Nikola Jokic.
It’s a steep hill to climb for the Lakers out West. Still, Cooper holds out hope. When Cooper’s co-host Nick Gelso, a Boston Celtics fan, said he doesn’t expect the Lakers to be competitive this season, especially because they haven’t improved from a year ago, Cooper jumped in.
“I think they’ll be competitive,” Cooper said, “and I think the first 15 games of the season will let you know what’s going on with the Lakers. I think they’re going to surprise Denver, and I really do believe this. They’re going to surprise the Mavs. They’re going to surprise Minnesota with some early wins that you didn’t think they could win.”
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Lakers Legend Has Optimistic Take on Former Team for 2024-25 Season