LeBron and Bronny: A New Chapter in Lakers’ Legacy, Key Roster Shifts & NBA Betting Futures for the Season
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Jason Lake
- October 26, 2024
NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers Over 43.5 Wins (-115) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
I can’t remember which of the talking heads at TNT said it this past Tuesday, but it went something like this: While all those elite NBA teams beefed up during the offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers decided, “Nah, we good.”
They are, actually. The 2023-24 Lakers went 47-35 (38-44 ATS), although that was only good enough for seventh place in the Western Conference. And it wasn’t like they were completely silent this offseason; the Lakers drafted Dalton Knecht at No. 17 overall, and a certain individual named Bronny James at No. 55. You may have heard of him.
There’s even a good chance you’ve bet on him. Action on Bronny James’ player props went through the roof heading into Tuesday’s opener versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. People were hammering both sides of the 0.5 total for points scored; it was the biggest thing on the NBA odds board, even bigger than the LeBron James props for that matchup. Did we mention Bronny is LeBron’s son?
It’s unlikely Bronny James will make the same impact for the Lakers on the court that he has at the ticket window. Not until he gets some seasoning, at least. Knecht, on the other hand, looks like a steal at No. 17. And even if the Lakers have largely stood pat, another 47 wins would be more than enough to clear this year’s win total of 43.5 at top sportsbooks like Bovada.
Lakers – Regular Season Wins
Is Bronny James Any Good?
Good enough to play for USC last year. Expectations for Bronny aren’t nearly as high as they were for LeBron coming into the NBA – how could they be – but he’s a strong, well-built and highly intelligent athlete with a solid work ethic. Bronny’s a glue guy; De’Anthony Melton has been floated multiple times as a player comparison.
He’s also coming off a one-and-done year at USC that got off to a late start when Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest in July. Player development has never been the No. 1 priority for the Lakers, but they’re starting to take the G League seriously under new head coach JJ Redick, so maybe Bronny will get those valuable minutes with the South Bay Lakers, alongside big men Colin Castleton and Christian Koloko.
Why Did the Lakers Stand Pat?
Blame the dreaded “second apron.” There’s no room under the league’s new restrictive salary cap for the Lakers to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with high-end talent; James even took a $3-million haircut on his latest two-year extension to give L.A. a little wiggle room under the cap. And by “little,” we mean a reported $45,000.
This obviously isn’t great for the Lakers. They’re +2500 to win the championship on Bovada’s NBA futures market, which ranks 10th overall in the league – and that’s probably a bit generous, considering how many Lakers fans there are in the NBA betting market. Jeff Sagarin has L.A. at No. 12 on his latest power rankings, sandwiched between New Orleans and Indiana. Mid, mid and more mid.
The Pick
Mid isn’t good enough for the Lakers as a franchise, but it should be good enough to go Over 43.5 wins. Last year’s Lakers tied for 12th overall with Indiana, Philadelphia and Orlando; then it was Miami, Sacramento and Golden State at 46-36.
Tuesday’s 110-103 win over Minnesota (+1 away) proves the Lakers can hang with the top contenders in the West – even if Bronny James scored zero points in 2:41 next to his proud papa. They might not be part of the next great Lakers team, but as they say, don’t let the great be the enemy of the good.
NBA Pick: Los Angeles Lakers Over 43.5 Wins (-115) at Bovada
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
