The Los Angeles Lakers are having a tough offseason of many NBA critics questioning them, but an unexpected name called them out. Michael Porter of the Brooklyn Nets flat out said he disliked the roster and doesn’t expect to see much success from the Lakers this season. Twitch streamer Neon interviewed Porter and asked about the Lakers as one of the most discussed teams in the league.
Porter dropped the following quote to make it clear that some players don’t believe in the new roster:
“Yeah, I don’t like that roster. To be a championship roster? They might be solid, but I don’t see them winning the chip.”
The quote was right to the point with Porter not being afraid to share his unfiltered thoughts. Porter took part in multiple playoff series against the Lakers during his time on the Denver Nuggets. Multiple series victories showed Porter winning against Lakers teams that had real title hopes.
A new core built around Luka Doncic will hope to do the same, but the offseason leaves a lot to be desired. The loss of multiple impactful players from last season, especially LeBron James, will lead to many question marks. Porter is one of plenty of critics who expect the Lakers to struggle this season.
Why Michael Porter Others Believe Lakers Will Fail
Porter referenced that they could be a solid team, but he went on the record to predict they won’t contend for an NBA Championship. The Lakers let LeBron, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, and others leave after having a strong season last year before Doncic’s injury ended their playoff hopes.
General Manager Rob Pelinka made a couple of bold moves that he felt were most important to warrant losing a lot of talent. The first was extending Austin Reaves to a long-term contract to make him the second star on the roster behind Luka.
Walker Kessler was the next major move when the Lakers traded two first-round picks to the Utah Jazz in order to extend him on a large contract. Both moves will determine the team’s future, and many believe that’s why they’ll fail. The Lakers top stars behind Doncic have more concerns than the other West contenders.
Why This Could Backfire On Michael Porter
Porter has become known for talking as much as his on-court work to risk harming his overall reputation. The situation of Porter is also a bit strange to be this bold after he recently predicted the Nets would win 50 games with him and Julius Randle leading the team.
Brooklyn is expected to be one of the worst teams in the league again, despite improving due to the strong depth in the NBA. Porter criticizing a team led by Doncic while playing for a team more built around young players like Egor Demin could make him look foolish.
Luka has led flawed teams to playoff contention before, and the league is more open than ever before. No one confidently predicted the New York Knicks would win the NBA Championship last season nor the Indiana Pacers making the NBA Finals one year prior. The Lakers have a much better chance to contend than Porter to make this quote risky.
Michael Porter Rips Lakers Roster & Predicts Failed Season