BRONNY James Says the First 15 Games Will Show Where the Lakers Stand

First of all, Bronny James shouldn’t excite anyone in the NBA. It’s no knock on the kid, but if his father wasn’t with the Lakers, he likely would not have heard his name called on draft day. Sure, he’ll create a buzz around the city, but he’ll do very little — especially this year — to help take the Lakers to the next level.The Lakers have a lot of work to do. LeBron will be 40 during the 2024-25 season. While he’s still a talented player who can lead a team, he’s not what he used to be. Anthony Davis is another talent but his history in injuries always come into play.The Lakers making the Western Conference Finals would be a shocker. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are young teams with far more talent. The conference champion Dallas Mavericks got better with the addition of Thompson. The Nuggets, two years removed from a title, still have arguably the best player in the league in Nikola Jokic.It’s a steep hill to climb for the Lakers out West. Still, Cooper holds out hope. When Cooper’s co-host Nick Gelso, a Boston Celtics fan, said he doesn’t expect the Lakers to be competitive this season, especially because they haven’t improved from a year ago, Cooper jumped in.“I think they’ll be competitive,” Cooper said, “and I think the first 15 games of the season will let you know what’s going on with the Lakers. I think they’re going to surprise Denver, and I really do believe this. They’re going to surprise the Mavs. They’re going to surprise Minnesota with some early wins that you didn’t think they could win.”