The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to enter a new era following LeBron James' departure to the Philadelphia 76ers, but former Lakers player and head coach Byron Scott believes the organization remains far behind the Western Conference's top contenders.
Speaking with Kyle Odegard of Casino.org, Scott questioned whether Los Angeles made enough improvements this offseason to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. He also challenged Luka Doncic to elevate his defensive performance if the Lakers hope to contend for an NBA championship.
“I think the (offseason) moves they made are OK. It’s nothing that’s going to get them to the level where they need to be, as far as in that Western Conference. There are two studs in the Western Conference, and that’s OKC and San Antonio. The Lakers are not even close to those two teams right now.”
With James no longer in Los Angeles, Doncic and Austin Reaves will lead a revamped Lakers roster that added several pieces during the offseason, including Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ziaire Williams, Kevon Looney and Matisse Thybulle.
While those additions provide Los Angeles with additional depth and offensive options, Scott remains unconvinced that the Lakers have addressed their defensive shortcomings.
He also identified several other Western Conference teams that could complicate Los Angeles' pursuit of a top-four finish.
“I thought Minnesota got better this summer with LaMelo [Ball] coming to the team along with the Ant-Man [Anthony Edwards]. And Denver is always going to be a threat when you have [Nikola] Jokic, who is probably the best player in the league. And I didn’t even mention Houston, which is another young, up-and-coming team.
“I don’t know if (the Lakers) get into that upper echelon of the top four. The moves they made helped them on the offensive end. I don’t know how much they helped them on the defensive end.”
Byron Scott challenges Luka Doncic to improve defensively ahead of 2026-27
Although Doncic remains one of the NBA's most productive offensive players, Scott believes the Lakers' championship aspirations will depend heavily on their franchise cornerstone becoming a more effective defender.
The former Lakers coach emphasized that championship-caliber teams must consistently perform at a high level on both ends of the floor.
“If he really wants this team to be successful and win championships — I still haven’t seen a team in the top-5 that’s won a championship that hasn’t been one of the best defensive teams in the league as well. They have a long way to go on that end of the floor, and a lot of that is going to be predicated on how he’s going to defend this year.”
Doncic's offensive production has rarely been questioned, but his defensive consistency has drawn scrutiny throughout his career.
With James' departure placing greater responsibility on Doncic and Reaves, Scott believes the Lakers must establish a stronger defensive identity to compete with teams such as Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
The challenge extends beyond individual improvement, however, as Scott emphasized the championship expectations that have defined the franchise for decades.
A three-time NBA champion during the Lakers' Showtime era, Scott helped Los Angeles win titles in 1985, 1987 and 1988 alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He later served as the team's head coach from 2014 to 2016.
Scott puts Doncic on notice over Lakers' championship standard
Drawing on that experience, Scott made it clear that merely reaching the playoffs would not satisfy the standards established by previous generations of Lakers players.
“Every guy that played in that era, the Showtime era, that’s our standard. We don’t know anything but that. It’s either win a championship or it’s a lost season. We are held at a higher standard, and I think Luka [Doncic] and those guys are going to find that out. We expect to win championships, and we’re not going to lower our standards.”
Scott also warned that Lakers fans would not accept prolonged postseason disappointment, particularly after the organization committed to building its future around Doncic.
“The fans aren’t going to lower their standards, either. If they don’t win in Luka’s era, over the next two or three years, there’s going to be a whole lot of stuff going on. That’s how it should be. We did create a high standard, and then Kobe and Shaq lived up to that standard. OK, Luka, it’s your turn.”
With Doncic now positioned as the centerpiece of the Lakers' post-James era, Scott's message underscores the expectations awaiting the franchise entering the 2026-27 season.
Los Angeles has assembled a different supporting cast around its star guard, but Scott believes meaningful defensive improvement will ultimately determine whether the Lakers can challenge the Western Conference's elite.