Following an epic comeback season, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have decided to run it back with the same core unit that reached the Western Conference Finals. After an abysmal 2-10 start to the 2022-23 season, Rob Pelinka blew up the Lakers Big 3, letting go of Russell Westbrook. After solid mid-season signings like Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers made an improbable run to the Conference Finals.

After losing to the eventual champions Denver Nuggets, the Lakers are going with the same core, adding a few missing pieces to the roster. NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that King James’ team has added Forward/Center Christian Wood to their stacked roster. Following the news, an old video of King James acknowledging the skills of their new signing is making the rounds on social media.

LeBron James believes Christian Wood is trouble

In the video, The Akron Hammer can be seen instructing Mark Gasol to hold Christian Wood down. “Hold him. Hold his A**… That guy is trouble. Hold him down.” The 4-time Champion mouthed before taking a free throw against the Houston Rockets during a game 2 years ago. That is some high praise coming from one of the Greatest Players of All Time. With his experience and basketball IQ, the 19-time All-Star has an eye for recognizing Greatness among good players. He saw something elite in Christian Wood’s performance and skills to consider him a threat.

The 27-year-old center averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks for the Mavericks last season. Wood has signed with the Lakers on a 2-year $5.7 million deal. His signing could prove to be another genius move by Rob Pelinka. The Lakers have stuck with their strategy of staying away from signing star players. Rather, they have surrounded LeBron and AD with solid role players who can play both ends of the floor every night. That is the same strategy Pelinka used in 2020 when LeBron won his 4th title, and again last season after the disappointing Russell Westbrook era in Los Angeles.

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The LA Lakers will be title contenders next season

After signing Christian Wood, the Lakers have a solid team with a deep bench. Their off-season moves have been very calculative. Pelinka re-signed last season’s breakout stars Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura on sizable long-term contracts. The Lakers also re-signed Guard D’Angelo Russell on a 2-year $36 million contract despite his disappointing performance against Nikola Jokic and Co. Apart from re-signing their core players, the Lakers added Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes to add some shooting and defense to the team.

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Christian Wood’s signing is also a smart one from Pelinka as the 6’10” Forward could play backup to Anthony Davis. Despite being an elite player, AD is injury prone, which has haunted Lakers in the past. With Wood’s addition, AD will get time to rest and stay healthy for crucial matches later in the season. Wood is a career 15-point scorer and can take some offensive load off Davis’ shoulders.

The Los Angeles Lakers look ready for next season as their final roster is almost complete. With LeBron James still going strong and AD entering the season fully healthy, the Lakers have a legitimate chance of winning the NBA championship next year. Do you think Christian Wood’s addition will help LeBron win his 5th Championship?

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