The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2018 free agency period by signing the best player in the world, LeBron James, but the Golden State Warriors were a close runner-up, as the back-to-back champions added four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins, who won't be ready to begin the season due to an Achilles injury, signed a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Warriors, making Golden State's lineup even more lethal. When Cousins returns from his injury, the Warriors’ starting lineup will feature five players who have been to multiple All-Star games in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Cousins.
The Warriors are heavy favorites to win the 2019 championship, while the Lakers could struggle to make the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference since James is surrounded by a lot of young players and guys who don’t really fit well next to him.
DeMarcus Cousins, however, says you can't count the Lakers out and even claims they might be able to beat the mighty Warriors because of how phenomenal of a player James is.
“They got the best player in the world,” Cousins told Brandon ‘Scoop B' Robinson on Scoop B Radio. “They’ve got a chance. We’ll see what happens when the ball goes up.”
After James signed with the Lakers, LA added Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and Michael Beasley. Rondo and Stephenson aren’t good jump shooters, a trait players usually need when playing next to James because he’s a great passer and collapses the paint on his drives to the basket. It’s fair to say there won’t be much floor spacing for the Lakers when Rondo, Stephenson, and James are playing together.
Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart appear to have bright futures in the NBA, but how long will it take them to be ready for a playoff battle mentally and physically? If the Lakers make the playoffs this season, it’s doubtful all four will play well simultaneously.
One of the main reasons James signed with the Lakers is because he wants to take on the challenge of bringing the franchise back to prominence. We'll see if The King is able to accomplish that goal in the next four years.
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