After reshaping the roster around Luka Doncic, general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick believe the Lakers have the pieces to develop into a legitimate contender this season.
Pelinka made it clear that patience doesn’t mean lowering the standard in Los Angeles.
“We know the expectations in this city are for our team to be a championship-caliber team every year,” Pelinka said at the Lakers’ annual preseason press conference. “That’s what our fans want to see. And so we would never ask them to be patient with those expectations, just realistic.”
The Lakers have built a younger and deeper roster around Doncic, but Pelinka stressed that building a championship team is never really finished.
“I think building a championship roster is an evergreen process,” Pelinka said. “Like, you’re never done with the work. You’re never satisfied. You’re always looking to perfect, add more. And so I think it’s a process-oriented goal that’s always changing. You’re never done building a roster. So as JJ pointed out, there’s no off-season where you can check every single box you’re hoping to check. But we felt like the major ones we did, and the work continues. But we feel like we’re on the path of being a really competitive championship-level team.”
Redick shares that confidence, but his focus is on what the Lakers can become throughout the season rather than how the roster looks before opening night.
“I think from my role and from being a former player and really living for competition, the games are not played on paper,” Redick said. “And so part of our team this year, part of our mindset is gonna be growth every single day, and becoming a championship-level team. No one is a championship-level team on September 29. There’s not a team in the league that is a championship-level team. That is an ongoing process throughout the year. Rob talks about his job in that. Well, I have a job in that. Our players have a job in that. I’m confident we’re gonna develop as a team into a championship-level team this year.”