History won’t be kind to the Lakers and their exit from the 2023 Western Conference Finals. While it was four very competitive games, it ultimately was just four games and the series ended in a sweep.
But the Lakers weren’t that far off the pace set by the Nuggets on their path to an NBA championship. It added some pressure to the team’s offseason and the need to make the right moves to, at the very least, keep them at their current level.
On that front, it was more than mission accomplished over the summer as the Lakers maintained their core and upgraded around the edges with Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince and Jaxson Hayes.