The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2024-25 regular season expecting mediocrity. No one denied how talented the starting lineup is, but questions about JJ Redick's inexperience and the Lakers' health concerns overshadowed any form of general optimism.

After a polarizing offseason and an equally controversial preseason, one question remains when it comes to predictions: How many games can this team realistically win?

Understanding the Lakers' future requires a thorough analysis of the past. For example: In the 2023-24 season, the Lakers posted a 47-35 record despite spending a total of 40 games with Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent and losing 32 games to their key backup Christian Wood.

Los Angeles also endured a tumultuous season behind the scenes, with former head coach Darvin Ham losing the locker room and D'Angelo Russell facing pervasive trade rumors.

It's also worth noting that Los Angeles' 47-win season was a tale of two teams wearing one jersey. One of those teams was 24-25 in January, while the other was 23-10 and had the fifth-best win percentage and third-best offensive rating in the NBA as of February 1.

With a new head coach and a necessary change in the overall philosophy of how the team wants to play, you can't help but end up with a number somewhere between those two records.

A 50-win performance is a bold prediction that assumes the Lakers can stay healthy through the 2024-25 regular season. This requires at least some level of risk, which is why the record forecast is 49-33.

Los Angeles has the talent to be one of the best teams in the NBA, but legitimate concerns about its injury history have left the team just shy of the 50-win mark.

It also takes into account the 23-10 record the Lakers posted after Feb. 1, which sets the pace for 57.2 wins in an 82-game season. Meanwhile, the 24-25 mark before February 1st equates to 40.2 wins. If we add these numbers together and then halve the number, we get 48.5 wins.

In summary, the Lakers end up on a 49-win pace – with every opportunity to reveal which version of the team was legitimate in 2023-24.

Rival teams have made roster changes and impact players have since recovered from injuries, but it's worth noting that a 49-33 record would have made the Lakers a No. 5 or 6 seed in 2023-24. That depended on who would have won the tiebreaker between Los Angeles and the Phoenix Suns.

Considering the Lakers were just two wins behind the competition, it's hard to say that a healthier, more cohesive unit could be on the same scale in 2024-25.

It's also worth noting that Los Angeles took their game to a new level after February 1st, and did so against strong competition. During that time, it defeated the likes of the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Add to that the fact that they are 20-21 in 41 games and 27-14 in their last 41 games, and the Lakers are a much better team than they get credit for.