Jan 28, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket defended by Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half at TD Garden.
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James has left a big void on the Los Angeles Lakers after parting ways with the team and taking his talents back to the Eastern Conference to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But there is nothing to worry about the state of basketball in Lakers Land, according to former Los Angeles point guard Derek Fisher, who knows a thing or two about winning in Purple & Gold threads.
During a recent appearance on 97.1 The Fan LA, the 52-year-old Fisher allayed fears of a Lakers regression following James' departure.
“You think about the few organizations where LeBron has been, you tell me where their record has gotten dramatically better after he left. So it’s not going to fall off that much because Luka is there,” Fisher said (h/t The New York Post)
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When James left the Cleveland Cavaliers the first time, the Cavs entered a long phase of mediocrity that they only managed to escape once he returned to The Land. The Miami Heat also fell off after James packed his bags and left South Beach, though not to the degree of Cleveland's decline.
But Fisher doesn't see such a drop-off for the Lakers for a simple reason that the team still has Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“I think Luka and Austin Reaves are basically an All-Star backcourt that you can roll out every night, and then Walker Kessler is a young developing almost All-Star-ish type of big in terms of his elite defense and rebounding. So I think you have a chance…45 to 50 wins, a lot of things are going to have to go right, but it feels fair to me,” added Fisher, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers.
It will primarily be on Doncic to prove the Lakers can remain serious title contenders even without James. Doncic has proven he can take a team to the NBA Finals when he had the Dallas Mavericks playing on that stage in 2024, a good sign for the Lakers.