Lakers newsletter: Three teams you might have forgotten who could challenge the Lakers

Hey everyone, this is Dan Woike of the L.A. Times, and welcome to the Lakers newsletter, our weekly check-in on the team that’s given the world a Magic and a Smush.

We’re inching our way toward training camp at the end of September, the roster still looking the same, the coaching staff almost fully assembled and, well, not a lot to talk about, right?

Wrong! It’s the Lakers. The NBA. And ask my wife, I never shut up. So yeah, still plenty to talk about. This week, let’s take a quick look around the Western Conference at the teams most haven’t been paying enough attention to.

Three teams on my mind

Memphis Grizzlies

I was speaking with a NBA executive the other day about the Lakers and where they were two years ago. The executive pointed to the Lakers’ success in that playoff run as a reminder of what the Lakers can look like if everything goes right.

And, if we’re being honest, some things went right for the Lakers in their first-round series in 2023 against the Memphis Grizzlies. In that series, Memphis didn’t have two of their three best big men in Steven Adams or Brandon Clarke — and the lack of size really was a factor.

Since then, nothing else really has gone right for the Grizzlies, a team that’s moved from “We’re next” to “What scandal is next?”

Their luck, though, has to improve. And when it does, is it really that hard to see how the Grizzlies end up near the top of the West?

Ja Morant played only nine games last season because of injury and suspension. Desmond Bane struggled with availability for the second straight season. Marcus Smart, their big addition a year ago, played only 20 games. And Jaren Jackson Jr. didn’t take the step forward you’d expect a 24-year-old to take.

But with Morant on the court and, maybe, the perfect rookie for their needs is 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, the Grizzlies should trend up and push for a playoff spot.

Their lost season allowed players like Jake LaRavia to play with confidence, and the Grizzlies might not get a better crack with this group.

Golden State Warriors

Holistically, the Warriors cannot be as good, not with Klay Thompson playing for a different team after being one of the organizational pillars for Golden State’s best stretch of basketball ever.

But, look, while they lost a great shooter, Buddy Hield is a great shooter, too. He’ll need to make the same kind of big shots Thompson did for a decade, but Hield’s going to get plenty of clean looks.

And De’Anthony Melton is the kind of two-way nuisance that can dominate in stretches off a team’s bench. Add in second-year guard Brandin Podziemski and another year of development for Jonathan Kuminga, maybe there’s enough for another deep run authored by Stephen Curry.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings landing DeMar DeRozan this summer was a bit of a puzzler, the team obviously needing a talent upgrade. It’s not as obvious that they’d end up looking to a player like DeRozan for that boost.

On paper, the Kings needed more defense — instead, they end up investing more in a midrange maestro who can cook with the ball in his hands.

With De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk all scorers, how does DeRozan fit in? The good news is that he’s the kind of veteran player who seems to figure things out based on the players around him.

The Kings probably have a lower ceiling than Memphis or Golden State, and with their offense, they might have a higher floor. But ultimately, they can doregular-season damage because of how they can score the ball.

And on any given night, they’re not going to be fun to try to stop.

Let’s chat

Any other questions you might have about this offseason? Players you want to have me dig in on? Let me know. Email me at daniel.woike@latimes.com with your questions and we’ll answer as many as we can next week.

Song of the Week

Oasis “Live Forever” (Live)

Oasis is reuniting for tours next summer, and while there’s a decent chance we never make it to the shows, because, well Oasis is about as reliable as a motel room alarm clock. Luckily, we can always look back because iconic performances, like this one, live forever.

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