Richard Jefferson: Lakers need 3 ‘All-Star caliber’ players to compete with Celtics

Richard Jefferson: Lakers need 3 ‘All-Star caliber’ players to compete with Celtics

We are just over one month away from the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. After two consecutive eliminations to the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers had a fairly quiet offseason outside of replacing Darvin Ham with JJ Redick and drafting Bronny James.

We began our NBA season previews this week, and the first team I honed in on was the Los Angeles Lakers. Outside of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, I’m fairly concerned about the team’s lack of quality depth.

I’m not the only one. Earlier this week, former 17-year NBA veteran Richard Jefferson compared the Lakers to the reigning champion Boston Celtics–the Lakers’ biggest rival. Let’s just say, he still thinks the Lakers, as currently constructed are a long way from title contention.

“You look at the defending champions–the Boston Celtics–the Lakers are three all-star caliber players away from being on their level,” Jefferson said. “That’s how far the Lakers are away from being on the same tier as the defending champions.

“What do they need to happen? Something miraculous that we don’t know about. Jesus Christ could come down and play shooting guard for them … I don’t know what can happen, but I wish them the best.”

.@Rjeff24 on what it would take for the Lakers to win the title this upcoming season 👀

"You look at the defending champions, the Boston Celtics. The Lakers are three all-star caliber players away from being on their level." 😳 pic.twitter.com/0ANphiWika

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 17, 2024

2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Los Angeles Lakers

Jefferson went on to mention Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum–their only two All-Stars–plus Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who he deemed were “All-Star caliber.”

Holiday has made the All-Star team twice–the last time being in 2022-23 with the Milwaukee Bucks–while Kristaps Porzingis was an All-Star once with the New York Knicks in 2017-18.

James and Davis played in 147 combined games last season (while Reaves played all 82), yet the Lakers landed in the play-in game for the third time in four years before losing to Denver in five games.

Perhaps Redick excels on the sidelines in his first season? Maybe rookie Dalton Knecht looks like a ready-made contributor? Maybe Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt stay healthy and provide much-needed production? Maybe Austin Reaves takes yet another leap in Redick’s system.

The West is deep. The Lakers are not. They are going to have serious health luck to fight for a top-5 seed, barring any major injuries across the conference.

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