In the 2023-24 season, the Los Angeles Lakers came up short of their preseason expectations. Heading into the year, many expected them to be vastly improved from the previous season and ready to make another run to the Western Conference Finals or potentially even beyond.
The Lakers were riding a hot streak to end the previous season and their only problem was that they ran into the eventual champions, who won four close games against them. In the eyes of LA’s management, the upgrades they made over the summer of 2023 would give them a chance of usurping even Denver and making a run at the franchise’s 18th championship.