The Los Angeles Lakers have radically shaped their roster over the offseason to fully build around star guard Luka Doncic and as a result, the Lakers look primed to compete in the tough Western Conference.

Now that Doncic stands alone as the undisputed main star of the Lakers, the team will be structured to compliment him specifically, adding defense around him while populating the team with versatile scorers who can make the most of his outstanding playmaking abilities. 

But Doncic isn't alone on the roster and for the Lakers to be successful and live up to their full potential, everyone wearing Purple and Gold needs to play their part in making the sum of the team greater than its parts. 

According to new addition guard Quentin Grimes, that's exactly what the team has been doing and as a result, the Lakers could be in for a lot of success ahead of them.

“I feel everybody really bought into the role of what they need to do on this team. When you have ego-less basketball, it kind of makes it easier to go out and play for the name on the front," Grimes said in an interview with The Orange County Register (via Lakers Center on X). 

Connectivity is crucial on any NBA roster, especially for a team that has undergone as many personnel changes as the Lakers have over the past few months. Not only has been the bench been reshaped, but the Lakers have added two new starters in Grimes and center Walker Kessler as well.

Finding chemistry within a team that has so many new players is certainly a challenge, one that the Lakers will especially be facing in the early weeks of the regular season, but a roster that's able to play well with each other and rely on an understanding of their roles is a roster that overcome unfamiliarity

Based on Grimes' comments, that's exactly what this Lakers team will be able to do, though the next test will be to see if they're able to put his optimistic observation into practice. 

With Doncic as such a strong focal point, being able to play effectively around him and make him an effective pivot point for the team will open many doors for the team's effectiveness.

Competing in the Western Conference, and the NBA as a whole, won't be an easy task, but a Lakers team that has a commitment to connectivity and a keen understanding of respective roles will have a much easier time doing that than a team that doesn't know how to play together.

Expectations and potential are both high for the Lakers and it will take a full team effort to make that happen. But if Grimes is to believed, this roster is up for the task.