The Los Angeles Lakers have a long road ahead in the 2019-20 season, but that won’t stop the media and fans from jumping to conclusions as soon as possible.
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ fan base is not known for its patience.
It’s tough to hold it against them. This franchise has won 16 NBA championships — second only to the Boston Celtics‘ 17 titles — and the Lakers have never gone more than nine years without at least making an NBA Finals appearance.
Which is why this season could be a tipping point for Hollywood’s favorite team.
If the Lakers don’t win the Western Conference in 2019-20, it will represent the longest streak without a Finals appearance in their history. And the Lakers are already in the midst of a postseason drought that has seen them miss the playoffs each of the last six seasons.
I pray to God every night that the Lakers play good defense and make their free throws.
— Tyler (@Tylertarian) October 23, 2019
Since 2013.
This year’s squad is supposed to be different, though.
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LeBron James and Anthony Davis are at the top of the marquee. Kyle Kuzma is ready to blossom into a star. Danny Green, Avery Bradley, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard are helping the defense improve. New head coach Frank Vogel has a couple of deep playoff runs under his belt.
Expectations are so high and the pressure is so great that the team’s season-opening loss to the LA Clippers on Oct. 22 sent Laker Nation into panic mode.
A bounce-back win over the Utah Jazz three days later — followed by emphatic wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies — thrust some of those same doomsday preppers back into championship parade planning.
It’s going to be like this all season long for the Lakers, who are 3-1 going into their first true road game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Each outing will create overreactions from eager fans and salivating haters.
Here are some of the conclusions that were jumped to a bit prematurely in the season’s first week.