After all, they have the likes of LeBron James<\/a>, Austin Reaves<\/a>, and Deandre Ayton<\/a> on the roster around Luka Doncic<\/a>, who is now in the best shape of his career<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s easier said than done due to the level of competition in the Western Conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even last season, the Lakers finished the regular season as the third seed in the West, but could last only five games in the postseason.<\/p>\n Sure, the Lakers have significantly improved their roster, but NBA expert David Dennis Jr. reminded fans of the presence of the Oklahoma City Thunder\u2019s<\/a> championship-winning roster.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to see that right now, and it\u2019s not really anything against the Lakers. It\u2019s mostly the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the league right now and are built to win championships for the foreseeable future. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Lakers have a lot of work to do if they want to figure out how to get a championship,\u201d Dennis Jr. said via ESPN\u2019s First Take.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cLeBron James is going to be there this year, and we don\u2019t know what\u2019s beyond that, right? So you\u2019ve got to build stars and bring stars to LA around Luka within this three-year window.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ve got to figure out how to climb the mountain of OKC.\u201d<\/p>\n Even if Doncic is eager to reach the NBA Finals<\/a> as a member of the Lakers, the threat of the Thunder cannot be overlooked.<\/p>\n David Dennis Jr. reminds fans the OKC Thunder\u2019s core is there to stay<\/p>\n Adding more to his insight, Dennis Jr. then pointed out that the Thunder front office have stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>, Jalen Williams<\/a>, and Chet Holmgren<\/a> locked in to long-term deals.<\/p>\n \u201cThey re-signed everybody. SGA is there, JDub is there, Chet is there. They\u2019re young; they\u2019re healthy. They\u2019re going to be in the picture for at least the next three years,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n So, does it mean that the Lakers should give up on their title hopes? No. Dennis Jr. laid down a blueprint of success for the iconic franchise over the next three seasons or so.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if you\u2019re the Lakers, you have to have that in mind. And you have to think, it\u2019s not just going to be Luka and LeBron beyond this year because we don\u2019t know what LeBron\u2019s future is. <\/p>\n \u201cYou have to figure out what we can build around Luka Doncic, who is going to be MVP caliber for the next few years. What can we build around him to put an actual championship contender in Los Angeles?\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n![\"Luka](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2212823634-941x627.jpg\")
Photo by Harry How\/Getty ImagesDavid Dennis Jr. gives a reality check for the LA Lakers<\/p>\n