The red-hot Los Angeles Lakers are off to an impressive 13-4 start in the 2025-26 season, but are not deep enough to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets, reckons Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady.
While reacting to the Lakers’ 135-118 victory over the LA Clippers on Tuesday night, McGrady explained why JJ Redick’s team will fall to the Thunder, the reigning NBA champions, or the Nuggets, in a seven-game playoff series.
“I don’t think this team, as presently constructed, can survive OKC or a Denver team that has depth, size and speed. I don’t think they can sustain that,” McGrady said on the NBA on NBC and Peacock postgame show.
Lakers Not Good Enough?
The former two-time NBA scoring champion felt the Lakers did not prove anything by beating the Clippers, an old and battered team that plays at a slower pace.
“This is the slowest-paced team in the league, the Clippers, and the oldest,” McGrady said of the Clippers, undermining the Lakers’ NBA Cup win.
T-Mac also questioned the Lakers’ depth.
“If you look at this roster constructed, what did you see on this bench that can give you consistency in a seven-game series against OKC or Denver?” McGrady asked.
Vince Carter Agrees
Vince Carter agreed with his fellow Hall of Famer and cousin’s Lakers take.
“Right now, everything you’re doing is to try to match OKC — quickness, athleticism.”
Further to McGrady’s point, the Lakers rank 17th in PACE, ninth in offensive rating, 16th in defensive rating and 14th in net rating — not exactly markers of a legitimate title contender. While their PACE is slower due to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ half-court style, their 16th-ranked defense is unlikely to improve due to the personnel.
Some NBA scouts and analysts feel that the Lakers’ 13-4 start is misleading, attributing it to an easier schedule compared to other top teams in the West. One Eastern Conference scout told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that the Lakers — led by their Big 3 of Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James — could be a handful in the playoffs, but doesn’t see them matching up with the Thunder or Nuggets.
“Are they up there with Oklahoma City, Denver and Houston? No,” the scout said. “But they’re clearly in the top six. Their depth overall isn’t good, but their top-line talent makes them a team I wouldn’t want to see in the playoffs.”
Bontemps’ report made a note of the Lakers’ poor interior defense, and why scouts around the league are wary to crown them a legitimate title contender.
“Opponents are having a field day at the rim, with the Lakers giving up 69% shooting inside of 5 feet (fourth worst in the NBA),” he wrote on November 21.
“While they have an 11-4 record, they have middling overall efficiency numbers (11th in offense, 17th in defense, 14th in net rating). Add it up, and while it has been an impressive opening few weeks in the standings, it’s still unclear just how high this team’s ceiling really is — which was reflected in conversations this week with sources around the league.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Lakers Hit With Reality Check By Hall of Famer: ‘Too Slow for OKC, Denver’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.