Derek Fisher believes Lakers can win 45 to 50 games without LeBron James

LeBron James is gone. Derek Fisher doesn’t believe the Lakers are going away with him.

The former Lakers guard and five-time NBA champion believes Los Angeles can remain firmly in the playoff picture during its first season built entirely around Luka Doncic.

“I think Luka and Austin Reaves are basically an All-Star backcourt that you can roll out every night,” Fisher said during an appearance on 97.1 The Fan LA, via SI’s Ryan Ward. “And then Walker Kessler is a young, developing, almost All-Star-ish type of big in terms of his elite defense and rebounding.”

Fisher’s prediction?

“I think you have a chance at 45 to 50 wins,” he said. “A lot of things are going to have to go right, but it feels fair to me.”

That’s not an outrageous projection. James’ departure for Philadelphia obviously leaves a massive hole, but the Lakers spent the offseason making it clear this is Doncic’s team now.

Reaves is back on a new deal, Kessler gives them the rim protector they badly needed, and the front office added Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams, among others.

There are questions, particularly defensively. Former Lakers coach and guard Byron Scott recently predicted they’ll struggle on that end despite Kessler’s presence.

But Fisher’s larger point is worth considering. The Lakers didn’t lose LeBron and start over. They lost LeBron and handed the keys to Luka Doncic.

There are considerably worse ways to begin a new era.