Derek Fisher isn’t sugarcoating where the Lakers stand.
With Los Angeles heading into the 2026-27 NBA season with an almost entirely new look, the five-time Lakers champion was asked on a recent episode of the D-Fish & Decker Show what his former team is missing. Fisher’s answer pointed straight to the top of the Western Conference.
“NBA rosters very rarely are missing pieces necessarily,” Fisher said. “I mean, the question is, what are we comparing it to?
Like missing compared to what? To Oklahoma City?
Oh, yeah… To San Antonio? Oh, yeah.”
That’s the bar now, and it’s a brutal one. The Oklahoma City Thunder finished 64-18 last season, best in the league, while the San Antonio Spurs were right behind at 62-20.
Both teams gave the Lakers fits. Los Angeles went 0-4 against Oklahoma City and 1-3 against San Antonio, and six of those seven losses came by double digits.
The matchup problem was obvious. The Thunder and Spurs were younger, faster, and better equipped to punish the Lakers on both ends. That gap still looks real even as Los Angeles remakes its roster this summer.
The Lakers are much younger now, with 30-year-old Kevon Looney as the only player on the roster in his 30s. Offensively, they should still have plenty to work with behind Luka Doncic. Defensively, though, the questions are impossible to ignore.
Los Angeles posted a 115.5 defensive rating last season, which ranked 20th in the NBA, and it’s fair to wonder how much that number can climb in 2026-27. Walker Kessler gives them a needed anchor at center, but the rest of the starting group still raises issues. Doncic and Austin Reaves are not players you expect to land on All-Defensive teams, and even with Doncic showing some growth on that end last season, the backcourt remains a soft spot.
Quentin Grimes appears to be the likely fourth starter, and he’s the most reliable perimeter defender in the mix. That says plenty about the shape of the roster.
The Lakers still haven’t settled on a fifth starter, either. They reportedly wanted Jonathan Kuminga for that role, but he ended up with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The options at power forward are Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ziaire Williams, and Jake LaRavia. Mamukelashvili is not a good defensive fit.
Williams and LaRavia can defend reasonably well, but neither brings consistent shooting or dependable offense. That leaves Los Angeles without a clean answer at the four.
When you stack that up against Oklahoma City, the difference is stark. The Thunder are expected to roll with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Even after some turnover this summer, they still have Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain coming off the bench. It’s a deep, hard-nosed group that can lock teams down and still score enough, especially with Gilgeous-Alexander - the two-time MVP - running the show.
San Antonio brings a different kind of problem. Their likely starting five features De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Tobias Harris, and Victor Wembanyama, with Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, and Luke Kornet in reserve.
Wembanyama gives them a defensive edge all by himself, and Castle adds another layer on the perimeter. The offense may not jump off the page at first glance, but the Spurs’ 118.7 offensive rating last season ranked third in the NBA.
That’s why Fisher’s comparison hits so hard. The Lakers may have some things to like, but Oklahoma City and San Antonio are built at a different level right now. Zach Lowe of The Ringer believes Los Angeles has next to no chance against either team in a playoff series, and that feels about right.
A Western Conference Finals rematch between the Spurs and Thunder in 2027 would not be a surprise. For the Lakers to join that conversation, they’ll need a lot more than what they have now.
In Other News...
Jared McCain Just Gave Thunder Fans Another Reason To Love This Fit
Jared McCain has wasted little time showing why he already feels like a natural fit around the Thunder. Through a summer spent mixing it up with teammates and making himself visible to fans, the young guard has added a little energy to the room and a lot of buzz to the Oklahoma City conversation. For a team that values chemistry as much as talent, that kind of easygoing presence matters almost as much as whatever happens on the floor.
McCains latest bit of attention came when he tried to put Shai Gilgeous-Alexanders game and personality into words, settling on a comparison that was as smooth as the Thunder star himself. It was the kind of answer that says plenty about how McCain sees the team around him, and why the fit looks so promising before a single meaningful possession is played. The only question now is how quickly that comfort turns into something even bigger once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Former Thunder Wing Could Extend One Of The NBAs Strangest Runs
Dillon Jones has stayed on the fringes of the NBA conversation for most of the past couple of seasons, with limited playing time in Oklahoma City and New York, but his next stop could add another odd chapter to an already unusual pro path. The former Thunder wing is now in Philadelphia on an Exhibit 10 deal, a type of contract that usually signals a training-camp fight for a roster spot and little certainty beyond that.
What makes Jones such a curious footnote is the timing of his recent stops, which have lined up with championship teams in a way that feels almost accidental. The 76ers have spent the offseason loading up around Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, and if Jones can stick long enough to get into the season picture, he could keep alive one of the strangest active runs in the league. The catch is obvious: first he has to make the opening roster. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Have One Major Reason To Worry As Camp Nears
Isaiah Hartenstein gave the Thunder a brief scare this summer when he hurt his ankle while practicing with Team Germany ahead of FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The setback landed at a time when Oklahoma City is counting on him to anchor the middle, which is why any mention of Hartensteins health naturally gets extra attention around the team as camp approaches.
There is some reassurance in the fact that he has already returned to the court for an offseason workout with Oklahoma City, and he is expected to be ready when the regular season opens. Even so, the Thunder have reason to stay careful with him given his injury history and how important his presence is to their frontcourt plans. [Read more 🡒]