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The Los Angeles Lakers have Vegas’s blessing as the title favorites heading into the NBA bubble. The dynamic duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James has made the Lakers the apex predators of Western Conference. With a 49-14 record and 7.23 net rating, they sit comfortably atop the Western standings. This is a team that prior to the NBA’s four-month hiatus, picked up back to back wins against their intercity rival Clippers and Eastern juggernaut Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers were always dangerous, but they were starting to build the type of momentum that could go from a grease fire dangerous to exploding house dangerous.
The collection of players on this team all have their individual reasons for chasing this title. LeBron wants to cement his legacy by proving he can conquer the Western Conference. Then you have Anthony Davis who wants to prove he is more than just a stat stuffer. Can’t forget Kyle Kuzma who probably wants to win so he can make a TikTok with the Larry O’Brien trophy. But if the Lakers want to pop the bubble, they’ll need to do it together.
Roster
Rob Pelinka zigged while the entire league zagged. This Laker team is built with size in mind. A roster of JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, and Anthony Davis helped lead the Lakers to a league-best 6.8 blocks per game and the 3rd best defensive rating. This blueprint has given the team early success in the regular season but will it translate to the postseason?
The Laker’s biggest question mark is going to be in the backcourt. Veteran guard Rajon Rondo is expected to be sidelined until the 2nd round of the playoffs. Statistically, they are much better without him having a net rating of +1.9 on the court compared to +10.2 when he is off. This means more playing time for internet sensation Alex Caruso. The recent addition of J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters help by adding two players who can create their own shot. Teams especially need these kinds of players in the playoffs when plays start breaking down. The issue is that they necessarily don’t create well for others. LeBron leads the league in assist this year with 10.6 APG and will run as the team’s de facto point guard.
Chemistry
The Lakers Roster looks more like the island of misfit tools than a title-contending team. A roster with the names of J.R. Smith, JaVale McGee, Dion Waiters, Dwight Howard, and Jared Dudley can pass off as a comedy troupe instead of a title team. The Laker’s chemistry was pegged by Dwight Howard as the reason for their early success. I do believe that despite all the roster turnover this offseason following the Anthony Davis trade, the team has played extremely well together. Especially when you factor in that they are led by a brand in coach in Frank Vogel.
Schedule
CBS Sports has the Lakers schedule pegged as the 3rd toughest but has a 5.5 lead over the 2nd seeded Los Angeles Clippers. This means that it would take the Lakers going 1-7 or worse and the Clippers going 7-1 or better for the Clippers to snag the first seed. Basically these eight play-in games are nothing more than preseason bubble games for the Lakers. This will be a great opportunity to help the new additions of Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith.
The Lakers are a team with an extremely high ceiling and floor. Worse case I see them losing in the Western Conference Finals and the best case is them holding the Larry O’Brien trophy.
