The Los Angeles Lakers had one of the most polarizing offseasons due to the big names leaving and joining the roster. LeBron James leaving any NBA team instantly creates doubt about their moves, but other decisions caused this. Walker Kessler is not a fully trustworthy name who will be tasked with being a top three player on a team hopeful for NBA Championship title contention.
A new study from Casino ranked each team’s fan base confidence entering the season. The Lakers ranked tenth overall with a 67 score out of a possible 100. Top fan confidence ratings entering next season:
New York Knicks: 95
Miami Heat: 81
Toronto Raptors: 72
Houston Rockets: 70
Detroit Pistons: 68
Lakers: 67
The teams mentioned were the top names ranked to see the Lakers in the middle of the pack. Any team led by Luka Doncic should be a little higher to create concern when breaking down the entire list.
Other superstars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama see their teams at the top of the list. However, the Denver Nuggets show that things could worse with a fan confidence rating of 58 for a franchise led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Why Lakers Are Ranked Perfectly Here
Most of the teams to have more optimism from fans make complete sense when looking at their rosters. The Spurs, Knicks, and Thunder are considered the three strongest favorites after last season’s success. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joining Philadelphia made them a viable contender.
Miami getting Giannis Antetokounmpo via a trade gives their fan base hope with a real superstar. The same can be said for Minnesota acquiring LaMelo Ball and Toronto potentially trading for Kawhi Leonard to boost their hopes.
Lakers fans understand that the team is a secondary contender at best and have less confidence in contending for a title. Losing LeBron and Rui Hachimura completely ruined the forward depth while investing in Kessler as a star sparked more doubt. The Lakers must see this new roster thrive around Luka for fans to grow confident.
Which Fan Bases Have The Last Hope?
The opposite side of the list sees the lower tier of teams with fans having no confidence entering this season. Only two teams are at the lowest of the low with the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings each having single digit confidence levels out of 100.
Bottom five teams with low fan confidence levels:
Milwaukee: 2
Sacramento: 3
The Bucks and Kings are at another level from every other team in the league. Even teams to have rebuilding scenarios, like the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, see the fans having more season for success.
Lakers fans should be content with this ranking coming off a critical offseason that featured reports of the franchise taking one step back to move two steps forward. However, progress must be seen early in the season to have any hope.
New Study Shows Lakers Fans Lacking Confidence This Season