Record: 41-25
Seed: 3rd
Playoffs: Lost to Oklahoma City Thunder in second round (5 games)
Offseason additions
Draft picks: Robert Sacre
Signings/trades: Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Antawn Jamison, Earl Clark, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Jodie Meeks, Chris Duhon, Darius Johnson-Odom
Subtractions
Andrew Bynum, Matt Barnes, Ramon Sessions, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Christian Eyenga
Projected starting lineup
C - Dwight Howard
PF - Pau Gasol
SF - Metta World Peace
SG - Kobe Bryant
PG - Steve Nash
What to expect
Just when you think the Los Angeles Lakers are dead, they rise again.
After all of the talk about this Lakers team as we know it being "done" after getting bounced by the Thunder in the playoffs, General Manager Mitch Kupchak first goes out and lands Nash in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns. That got everybody talking.
Of course, that wasn't the biggest blow Los Angeles would land.
L.A. then struck a deal with the Orlando Magic to bring Howard to Hollywood, parting ways with Bynum in the process.
The Lakers suddenly went from looking like a perennial second-round knockout in Bryant's twilight years to a title contender once again.
Provided that Dwight's back holds up, this team is obviously a championship favorite. It's not just the moves for Howard and Nash, though. It's the fact that Los Angeles also improved what was an abysmal bench last season, signing Jamison to fill the sixth man role.
The pine will now include the likes of him, Jordan Hill, Jodie Meeks, Steve Blake and Devin Ebanks. Not the best in the league, but certainly better than the Barnes-led bench of 2012.
There really isn't any one area where L...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
