Shaquille O’Neal didn’t need long on Inside the NBA to make his Lakers read clear. After Los Angeles opened the 2026-27 season with a 127-105 rout of the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, the Hall of Famer still pegged his former team for a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference.
Ernie Johnson raised the obvious comparison to last season’s fourth-seed finish in 2025-26, and O’Neal didn’t soften his stance.
“No, they’re not as good,” O’Neal said. “They’re close, but they’re not as good. Five.”
That comes after a 53-29 regular season a year ago, followed by a six-game first-round win over the Houston Rockets and then a sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. The offseason turned the roster over almost completely. LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton, and Jaxson Hayes all moved on, while the Lakers brought in Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, and Matisse Thybulle.
ESPN’s insiders were even lower, projecting a sixth-place finish and a 45-37 record. They also tagged the Lakers as the most disappointing team, though Wednesday night didn’t fit that label at all. The game was essentially over once Los Angeles opened it up, building a lead as large as 35 and pulling away after a close first quarter.
Luka Doncic set the tone with 28 points on 7-18 shooting, plus eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Kessler made an immediate splash too, going for 26 points on a perfect 12-12 from the field, with nine rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. That’s the performance that had O’Neal calling the new center the best in the league, and he also agreed that Doncic belongs in the top five players in the NBA.
If Kessler, Doncic, and Austin Reaves can stay reasonably healthy, there’s enough here for another 50-win type season. But even with that ceiling, the Lakers still aren’t being talked about as a real championship threat right now.
O’Neal also turned his attention to the bigger picture and gave his 2027 NBA Finals prediction. He doesn’t see the New York Knicks or the San Antonio Spurs on that stage. Instead, he backed the Philadelphia 76ers out East and the Thunder out West, saying Oklahoma City has an edge because of a “secret weapon.”
“Because they have a secret weapon,” O’Neal said. “I don’t know if he’s starting to come off the bench.
His name is [Aday] Mara. The guy’s 7’2″… When they play San Antonio, if [Isaiah] Hartenstein gets in trouble, Mr.
Mara can come in and give them good minutes. He can score.
He got post moves. I like his game.”
Mara actually stands 7’3″ and had some strong defensive possessions against the 7’4″ Victor Wembanyama in Oklahoma City’s 116-104 win over San Antonio on Tuesday. Some corners have already labeled him a “Wemby stopper,” though that’s far too early to settle on.
O’Neal finished by picking the Thunder to beat the 76ers and claim their second championship in three years.
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