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The Los Angeles Lakers have been handed a blunt warning ahead of the new NBA season, with former champion Iman Shumpert predicting the team could find itself in the play-in tournament.

Shumpert believes the Lakers could struggle to compete consistently despite having Luka Doncic leading their new-look roster.

Speaking on “Gil’s Arena”, Shumpert suggested the Lakers could be forced into relying heavily on Doncic late in the season.

Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast NetworkIman Shumpert expects Lakers to face a difficult season

“I think it’s going to be a play-in-type situation,” Shumpert said of the Lakers, via PurpGold. “I feel like they [Lakers] going to really be forcing it at the end.”

He then added: “…It’s going to be borderline, and it’s going to be borderline on some Luka got to pull a rabbit out of hat, and he needs somebody to lose over here.”

The prediction comes with the Lakers facing a competitive Western Conference. Their over/under win total has been set at 46.5, while several teams around them are expected to improve.

The New Orleans Pelicans could benefit from having a healthy roster, while the Utah Jazz are expected to take another step forward. Dallas will also welcome back Kyrie Irving alongside second-year Cooper Flagg.

However, former NBA player Brendan Haywood offered a different view, pointing to Walker Kessler as a major reason for optimism.

“Luka Doncic needs a lob threat,” Haywood said. “Walker Kessler is going to dictate what Luka does, because he’s going to use him to read the defense.”

Haywood also expects Kessler to produce consistently around the rim, saying he will “walk into double-doubles every night” and get “at least three lobs a game.”

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Seven-time champion Robert Horry has gone even further, calling Kessler “the key” to the Lakers’ success and arguing that he could be more important than Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Kessler’s health will be crucial after missing almost all of last season. The Lakers will get their first chance to answer those questions when they open the season against the Golden State Warriors on October 21.

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