The Los Angeles Lakers are currently clinging to their place in the standings, in fifth place in the Western Conference through Tuesday’s (4/13) games. Without LeBron James (ankle) or Anthony Davis (heel) they have slid behind the other West contenders over the past few weeks.
That’s the current reality, but it’s not the path ahead. Anthony Davis is expected to return in the next two weeks, and James a week or two after that. The team is being cautious with its stars, but both are expected back by the time the regular season ends and the postseason begins. With a fully healthy roster, the Lakers will be back to their role as title favorites.
The Los Angeles Lakers are going to win the title
Stating that the defending champions will win the title is hardly bold, but it can’t be assumed. There are multiple hurdles in the Lakers’ way, from injuries to standings to the creation of an offensive super team in the Eastern Conference. Yet when all is said and done, the Lakers are the deserving favorites, and they are going to get the job done and win a second consecutive title.
Last season was unique, with the midseason pause and bubble environment for the playoffs. As all champions do, the Lakers received some lucky breaks during their run to the title, including injuries to their opponents’ stars. Those sort of “breaks” happen for every champion in one way or another; nothing about the Lakers’ run last season was fraudulent or fluky.
Even so, the Lakers will look to prove themselves a legitimate champion once again. LeBron James is gunning for his fifth title in his pursuit of Michael Jordan; Anthony Davis is trying to cement his Hall of Fame case; players such as Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell are looking for a first title. Here are three reasons they will all receive that title when the smoke clears at the end of the season, leaving the Lakers holding the prize.
3. The Los Angeles Lakers roster is filled with NBA champions
It may sound obvious, but it is no less true. The Los Angeles Lakers won the title last year, fighting through four rounds of postseason basketball to do so. That sort of victory through struggle is a lesson only taught through experience. While the roster has turned some spots over, the bulk of their core has that title experience from a season ago.
Last season, LeBron James and a couple of veterans in Rajon Rondo and Quinn Cook could speak to the championship grind, the fight it takes to make it to the podium at the end of the season. This year, the roster as a whole can now speak to it, draw upon those memories, apply the lessons learned.
Even the newcomers have something to contribute, as Marc Gasol won the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors in a more traditional playoff setting. Even Alfonzo McKinnie, signed for wing depth, has been to the NBA Finals before.
There is a downside to playing all the way to the NBA Finals; that’s more games on your body, a shorter offseason, a higher level of mental fatigue. Yet it is indisputable that learning the path to the top makes it easier to walk the next time. With the 2020-21 Lakers, that high level of institutional championship knowledge will give them a leg up on a league where none of the other contenders have been to the NBA Finals.
2. Roster additions bring offensive firepower
Some NBA champions rest back on their laurels in the offseason, trusting in continuity and the formula that brought them success in the first place. The Los Angeles Lakers, recognizing that the league was arming themselves around them, did not play it safe but instead made a number of changes across the roster.
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The most significant ones came at either end of the positional spectrum. The Lakers traded for Dennis Schroder, who had a breakout campaign alongside Chris Paul in Oklahoma City a season ago. He brought scoring and playmaking juice from the point guard position, taking some of the load off of LeBron James’ shoulders and raising their regular season floor.
At center, the Lakers used their mid-level exception on Montrezl Harrell, a scoring dynamo inside, taking him away from the crosstown rival LA Clippers. He has averaged 21.1 points per-36 minutes as the Lakers deploy him strategically to maximize his impact.
These players were brought in to replace more defensive-minded options. Danny Green was traded out to bring in Schroder, while Harrell’s bench center role replaced Dwight Howard’s. Even the recently-signed Ben McLemore juices their shooting as he largely replaces Wesley Matthews.
LeBron James is one of the greatest offensive forces the league has ever seen, and Anthony Davis can score from all three levels as one of the modern NBA’s best bigs. The pieces assembled around them are more potent offensively, raising their floor and giving the team multiple options against tough postseason defenses. This Lakers team is more deadly than the one that won the title a year ago.
1. Lakers still have the league’s best defense
The previous slide highlighted the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense, and how multiple defense-first options were swapped out to juice their scoring. What that would seem to imply is that the Lakers are now an offense-first team, sacrificing defense to increase offense.
That simply isn’t true. The Lakers this season have the league’s top-ranked defense, allowing just 105.9 points per 100 possessions. They are a full point ahead of the second-place Philadelphia 76ers, and further from the 10th-place LA Clippers than the Clippers are from the 29th-ranked Portland Trail Blazers.
Marc Gasol is one of the league’s very best post defenders, and he brings the Lakers a strong rim-protecting presence. Andre Drummond, although he has his foibles, is similarly a large body inside. The collection of wings and forwards cycled through are plus defenders, including the impressive development by Kyle Kuzma.
Of course, the combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is still devastating. Davis’ ability to guard centers in the post and switch out on the perimeter is unique, coveted across the league. When paired with James, the ultimate free safety, the Lakers generate turnovers and have the versatility to morph and adjust to stop what their opponents are doing.
The adage that “defense wins championships” is cliche and overly simplistic, but it’s no question that an elite defense helps. The Lakers have one of those, alongside freshly-stocked offensive weapons and the best pair of stars in the league. With a versatile roster brimming with championship experience, the Lakers are set up to repeat as champions and win the 2020-21 NBA title.