Skip Bayless offers uncharacteristic assessment of Lakers, suggests they can contend in Western Conference

The Los Angeles Lakers are two games into their preseason schedule, and so far, they’re 0-2.

However, it’s typically wise not to put too much stock into the outcomes of preseason games, as key players often play limited minutes and sometimes don’t suit up at all.

That has been the case so far for the Lakers. In their preseason opener, no member of their star trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook played more than 16 minutes.

In L.A.’s second preseason game, Davis was out, and other key players saw limited action. The team lost 119-115, but it played well when its key players were on the floor.

The Lakers did enough in their second preseason game to impress sports analyst Skip Bayless. Bayless apparently came away from Wednesday’s game feeling like the Lakers could end up making some noise in the Western Conference.

Bayless seems to be a big fan of the fact that the Lakers got younger in the offseason. In the 2021-22 campaign, of course, the team had a lot of aging players on its roster.

So far in the preseason, the Lakers have certainly been playing with energy, which is a very good sign. If that spark carries over into the regular season, L.A. could get off to a fast start, which may be exactly what the team needs to gain some confidence.

It’s interesting to hear someone like Bayless express optimism about the Lakers. Most people don’t have a ton of confidence in the squad going into the 2022-23 season, which is understandable considering the way L.A.’s 2021-22 season went.

Additionally, many of the question marks that plagued the Lakers last season are still storylines this season, including health concerns and the fit of the roster.

One thing is certain: The Lakers have plenty of motivation to prove their doubters wrong. With so many people expecting the team to struggle in the upcoming season, L.A. would surely love nothing more than to prove the NBA world wrong.

Time will tell if Bayless ends up looking like a genius for his preseason take on the squad. L.A.’s next tune-up game will come on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.