Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers’ Projected Starting Five:
- Avery Bradley
- Danny Green
- LeBron James
- Anthony Davis
- JaVale McGee
- Other Notable Players — Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jared Dudley
The 2018-19 Lakers were a mild disaster. LeBron’s injury sent the franchise into dysfunction, while trade rumors tore at the locker room and the surrounding pieces weren’t enough to sustain a playoff run.
Now the Lakers have Anthony Davis, a couple useful veterans and a healthy, ready-to-remind-folks-of-his-brilliance LeBron. I mean, seriously. LeBron had all summer to work out and get right. Not playoffs, no extra mileage, nothing. Just Space Jam and workouts.
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On high-end talent alone, the Lakers should make a compelling run to the postseason. LeBron is the best player on the planet until definitively proven otherwise. AD is a top-10 talent, adding a much-needed defensive anchor to L.A.’s frontcourt.
Both have flaws, but Danny Green and Avery Bradley should find comfortable roles in L.A. For Bradley, he can focus on spot-up 3s and defending point guards — his primary source of defensive value. Green is a lights-out shooter and staunch wing defender. Again, a clean fit.
While I’m not high on the Lakers’ bench, at least Kyle Kuzma should exhibit some growth in his third season. He’s not as good as media hype would suggest, but he’s a gifted scorer with room to improve as a defender and a decision-maker. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jared Dudley are nice pieces.
Assuming full rosters are in tact, L.A. and Philadelphia should produce two entertaining bouts. LeBron and Simmons always give a little extra one-on-one, while Embiid tends to perform well against AD (or, like, Dwight Howard).
The Lakers will again play an up-tempo style, with Frank Vogel putting an emphasis on playing inside-out. If all goes to plan, LeBron and AD will pressure the defense while the complementary pieces reap the benefits.
On the whole, I’m not buying the Lakers’ depth. At least not in the West. That has less importance in head-to-head matchups, but Philadelphia should have the personnel to punish L.A.’s non-superstars. For the sake of balance: series sweep, in Philadelphia’s favor.