What’s Wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers?

Despite all of this, many fans and NBA experts predict the Lakers will still make the NBA Finals, that is, as long as LeBron and AD are healthy.

Some would think that the Lakers season from hell would have fans and experts picking against the purple and gold in the playoffs, but that hasn’t been the case. The main reason for this has to do with LeBron James.

Nobody wants to be the person that bets against LeBron. He has proven so many times not to count him out. From his coming out party in 2007, to the Cleveland Cavaliers miraculous comeback in the 2016 Finals to his masterful performance in the 2018 playoffs where he led a fourth seeded Cavs team to the Finals, LeBron is THAT DUDE! As long as King James is available, the Lakers have a shot at winning it all, and not just any shot, a really, really good shot. 

Another reason to pick the Lakers to come out of the West is their defense. According to ESPN, the Lakers rank in the top 10 in, pretty much, every defensive statistic, including being second in the league, only behind those New York Knicks, in points allowed per game, at 106.7.

That’s without Anthony Davis, one of, if not, the best defensive players in the league,  for more than half of the season, and without LeBron, who’s no slouch either. 

Lakers Head Coach Frank Vogel and his staff have the Lakers playing great defensive basketball. Watching the purple and gold, fans can tell that the players are completely bought into the system and have great team chemistry. However, in the modern NBA, in order to win, teams got to put up some points. That’s where the Lakers struggle the most, when LeBron and AD are out. 

If and when LeBron and AD are healthy, the Lakers offense will pick up exponentially, and their already great defense will be even better.