LOS ANGELES — Leave it to the Lakers to continuously provide the most compelling soap opera in this city.
The series started with the Los Angeles Lakers believing they can rectify last season’s missed playoff appearance by assuming a few best-case scenarios. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will stay healthy. Russell Westbrook will thrive in his role. Newly hired head coach Darvin Ham will do more with a poorly constructed roster than what Frank Vogel couldn’t do only two years after overseeing an NBA title.
The series then exposed those fallacies. The Lakers labored through a 2-10 start. James played like he was in his prime, but it didn’t matter. Davis still nursed various ailments. Even if Westbrook reluctantly accepted a bench role, he still showed more flaws than strengths. Ham struggled with making the most out of his flawed roster.
The series then took a dramatic turn. The Lakers’ intrigue no longer centered on James delaying Father Time and eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Davis became healthy and dominant. The Lakers found a deal for Westbrook that they liked. Those trade-deadline acquisitions addressed nearly every positional need. Ham empowered the group with his positivity, flexibility and improved rotations.
Voila. In the 2022-23 season, the Lakers changed multiple identities. After appearing bound to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive year, the Lakers became healthy and talented enough to sneak into the Play-In tournament. After barely squeaking past Minnesota in overtime, the Lakers then looked like a dangerous playoff team. And after eliminating the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed (Memphis Grizzlies) and the NBA’s defending champions (Golden State Warriors) in six games, the seventh-ranked Lakers have a serious shot at winning an NBA title.
Granted, the Los Angeles Lakers first face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals beginning with Game 1 on Tuesday (8:30 pm ET, ESPN) taking place on the road in a high-altitude city. Then, the Lakers will compete against a two-time MVP (Nikola Jokic), one of the league’s best head coaches (Michael Malone) and one of the league’s deepest teams. The Lakers have shown, however, they have what it takes to collect their 18th championship in franchise history.
Overcoming Los Angeles Lakers’ concerns
Worried that Father Time will deliver a powerful punch on 38-year-old LeBron James in his 20th NBA season? Don’t be. James may have missed 13 games from late February to late March, but he used all of that time to heal it significantly. James may lack the same explosiveness as he did in his prime. But he still drives to the basket with force. He still directs the offense with precision. He provides the intangibles with a role-player mentality while still providing the superstar smarts.
Believe that Lakers forward Anthony Davis remains fragile? Fair concern. He appeared in so much pain after Warriors forward Kevon Looney accidentally struck his head in Game 4 that he needed a wheelchair to the locker room area to get tested for a concussion. Davis missed a combined 26 games with various ailments. Yet, Davis has demonstrated an increased willingness and ability to play through pain. He has become more aggressive as a scorer. He has stayed consistently dominant as a rim protector and even as a perimeter defender.
Concerned that the Los Angeles Lakers don’t have enough depth to match up with the Nuggets? Valid point. Denver finally has a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets have a consistent forward that has eased Jokic’s workload with consistent rebounding and defense (Aaron Gordon). Denver has two solid perimeter defenders that can disrupt the opposing team’s top players (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown). What the Lakers lack in continuity, they can make up with chemistry. They have a proven playmaker that can make shots in big moments (D’Angelo Russell). They have a proven defender that can guard all positions (Jarred Vanderbilt). They have a handful of wildcard players that can have break-out games on a moment’s notice (Austin Reaves, Dennis Schroder, Lonnie Walker IV, Rui Hachimura).
Simply put, the Lakers became one of the NBA’s best teams following the trade deadline. By dealing Westbrook, not only did they part ways with a former star that showcased more of his weaknesses (turnovers, missed shots, bad defense) than his strengths (durability, athleticism, competitiveness). The Lakers finally upgraded various positional needs with acquiring from Minnesota a better playmaker (Russell), a decent shooter (Malik Beasley) and a dependable rebounder (Vanderbilt). Before then, the Lakers parted ways with an injury-riddled guard (Kendrick Nunn) and three second-round picks to Washington for a young wing that can thrive on both ends of the floor (Hachimura). After completing the Westbrook deal that also involved sending Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a 2027 first-round pick, the Lakers traded a disappointing shooter/defender (Patrick Beverley) to Orlando for an additional rim protector (Mo Bamba).
Before those deals, the Los Angeles Lakers ranked 13th in the Western Conference (25-30) and 20th in defensive rating (114.3). After those deals, the Lakers finished the rest of the season with the NBA’s third-best record (18-9) and with the league’s second-best defensive rating (110.8). The Lakers’ new players excelled in their roles despite having limited practice time. James and Davis thrived more without having to accommodate Westbrook’s needs, while also enjoying the increased spacing with better shooters and passers around them. And the Lakers thrived defensively because of better personnel, Davis’ improved health and fewer offensive disruptions that led to fast-break baskets.
The road ahead for Lakers
That doesn’t mean the Los Angeles Lakers won’t face turbulence. They nearly lost their Play-In game against Minnesota after overcoming a 15-point deficit. With the Lakers playing every other night for the second consecutive playoff series, James and Davis could eventually hit a wall. The Lakers lack a definitive third star that can score consistently.
The Lakers have weaved through such barriers, however, without hitting the guardrails. The Lakers have won 12 games this season after trailing by double digits. James and Davis have stayed disciplined with their training and recovery habits. The Lakers can always depend on one or two role players to become that third star for a game.
Who knows if those qualities will be good enough to eliminate the Nuggets, let alone win in the NBA Finals. Then again, few envisioned the Los Angeles Lakers would even have a shot at this only three years after winning an NBA title in the NBA bubble. The Lakers’ stars faced too much uncertainty about their health. The Lakers’ front office faced too much skepticism on whether they could fix the team’s numerous roster holes. Both parties addressed those issues well enough, however, to suggest they can complete this compelling series with an exciting finish.
Mark Medina is an NBA Insider at Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.