{"id":885946,"date":"2026-09-06T20:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T20:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/885946\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T20:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T20:58:11","slug":"derek-fisher-makes-bold-lakers-prediction-after-lebron-james-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/885946\/","title":{"rendered":"Derek Fisher Makes Bold Lakers Prediction After LeBron James\u2019 Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest bombshells of this NBA offseason came right before free agency got underway, with future Hall of Famer LeBron James<\/a> letting it be known that he was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> after eight seasons with the storied franchise.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, James decided to take his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers, joining a stacked team that recently acquired one-time NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\n

James’s signing sent shockwaves through the league and left many questions for the Lakers about the direction the team is headed as it goes all in on the Luka Doncic<\/a> era in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Derek Fisher: Lakers Won\u2019t \u2018Fall Off\u2019 Without LeBron<\/p>\n

Although many have chimed in on the post-LeBron era of the Lakers, believing the team could struggle without the legendary forward, Derek Fisher<\/a> doesn\u2019t think it will matter all that much, as he said on 97.1 The Fan LA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think about the few organizations where LeBron has been, you tell me where their record has gotten dramatically better after he left,\u201d Fisher said. \u201cSo it\u2019s not going to fall off that much because Luka is there. 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. I think you have a chance at 45 to 50 wins, a lot of things are going to have to go right, but it feels fair to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Byron Scott Believes New-Look Lakers Will Struggle Defensively<\/p>\n

Fisher may be going the optimistic approach about his new team and all the changes that have been made following LeBron\u2019s departure, but another Lakers legend isn\u2019t so sure about the team\u2019s immediate future with Doncic leading the way.<\/p>\n

Three-time NBA champion Byron Scott<\/a>, who famously was a big part of the Showtime Lakers playing alongside fellow legends Magic Johnson<\/a>, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar<\/a> and James Worthy<\/a>, believes the team\u2019s defense will struggle next season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re gonna struggle defensively,\u201d Scott said of this Lakers team. \u201cLet\u2019s get that out right now. They\u2019re gonna struggle defensively. The pieces that they\u2019ve put in place right now, obviously, [Walker] Kessler helps them in the center position, as a rim protector. There\u2019s no doubt about that. But he\u2019s going to do a lot of help because it\u2019s gonna be a lot of blow-bys on the perimeter, unless they do a better job, and Luka [Doncic] in particular, making second or third efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Scott points out, the Lakers are better defensively in the paint with the addition of Walker Kessler<\/a>. The team prioritized upgrading the center position and did so with the Kessler acquisition.<\/p>\n

However, Scott may have a point about the Lakers\u2019 perimeter defense, which could put a lot of pressure on Kessler when the team struggles there. Los Angeles made some sneaky good moves this summer to address the perimeter defense, namely bringing in Matisse Thybulle<\/a> and Ziaire Williams<\/a>, but it remains to be seen if that\u2019s enough to make up for the team\u2019s deficiencies.<\/p>\n

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