Los Angeles Lakers: 5 realistic predictions for the 2018-19 season

4. The Meme Team has more downs than ups

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I believe that Magic Johnson deserves the benefit of the doubt. He’s been in the driver’s seat for just over a year and a half, and he’s taken the Lakers from one of the NBA’s laughingstocks to a playoff-caliber club. Not bad for such a short amount of time.

That, however, doesn’t mean his questionable offseason decisions are going to pan out. It might not be a complete disaster like some see in their crystal balls, but there’s this unsettled feeling in my gut that tells me the bumbling bunch of misfits isn’t going to shock the world like Magic is hoping it will.

Now that’s not to say they won’t provide value. Rajon Rondo can, at the very least, serve as a quality mentor for Ball. JaVale McGee is a solid big man, but I think he’ll be thrust into a bigger role than he’s ready to handle. Lance Stephenson is the most questionable of the bunch, but he can be an offensive spark plug at times. Michael Beasley can get hot from the field, so there’s that.

All and all, it’s a decent group of players. The problem is trying to fit all of those awkward pieces together on the same puzzle board. It may look like the connections are good at first, but there’s too much eccentricity for one bench to handle.

There will be plenty of good and plenty of bad. When all is said and done, though, I think the Lakers’ Meme Team will be more of a disappointment than anything else.