The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2025 NBA Playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, carrying legitimate expectations of making a deep postseason run. With a star-studded trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, the Lakers were viewed as a team loaded with offensive talent and veteran leadership. However, their playoff dreams were short-lived. The Lakers were eliminated in just five games by the rising Minnesota Timberwolves, exposing significant holes in their roster—especially on the defensive end.
Now, the Lakers face a critical offseason, and former NBA All-Star Blake Griffin believes there’s still a path forward to contention. Speaking in a one-on-one interview with DJ Siddiqi of Bookmaker Ratings, Griffin expressed confidence in the core of Doncic, LeBron, and Reaves—but with one major caveat: “I definitely think so,” said Griffin when asked whether the Lakers can be contenders with their current core. “But they’re going to have to get creative.”
Griffin didn’t mince words when discussing the Lakers’ flawed playoff roster construction. He pointed out how easily the Timberwolves exploited mismatches involving Doncic and Reaves, both of whom struggled to stay in front of quicker or more physical offensive players. “You watch the Wolves series, they’re just going at one of them every single time,” Griffin noted, emphasizing the importance of having the right complementary defenders to support such offensive-minded players.
One of the biggest turning points, according to Griffin, was the trade that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles—reportedly in exchange for Anthony Davis. While acquiring a generational talent like Doncic undoubtedly elevated the team’s offensive ceiling, it also disrupted the Lakers’ previously strong defensive foundation. “The Luka trade sort of messed things up, right? Because they were built better defensively, much better defensively, before this,” said Griffin.
Now, the Lakers must take a page from the Dallas Mavericks’ playbook—Doncic’s former team. Dallas found success by surrounding Luka with defenders, size, and versatile role players capable of masking his defensive limitations while allowing him to dominate offensively. For the Lakers, that means making smart, calculated decisions this offseason, not just splashy headline-grabbing moves.
Griffin stressed the importance of finding rotation pieces who can log meaningful playoff minutes. “You give somebody $24 million a year, you’re hoping that they can be on the floor for the majority of minutes in the playoffs,” he said, subtly referencing Reaves’ role and the financial commitment the Lakers made to him.
In short, the Lakers have a foundation that can work—but only if they build around it correctly. Upgrading defensively, adding size, and rebalancing the roster to complement Doncic and LeBron’s strengths will be critical. With LeBron James aging and Doncic entering his prime, the clock is ticking for the Lakers to figure it out. But as Blake Griffin pointed out, contention is still within reach—if the front office is willing to think outside the box and commit to strategic roster-building.