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The Los Angeles Lakers are in an intriguing situation because, before the season, everyone felt this squad had a chance to win an NBA championship.
It's been difficult to get a read on this Lakers team through the first 60 games of the season. They haven't performed very well this season, but they do have several stars on their roster who can help them turn things around and make this work.
Let's look at some of the reasons why the Lakers are both contenders and pretenders as the season progresses.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done.
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Are the Los Angeles Lakers contenders or pretenders?
Contenders
2. Have more experience in the league than any other team
The amount of experience that most of the players on the Los Angeles Lakers have is one reason why they still have to be optimistic about what they can do after the All-Star break and in the postseason. They're stacked with veterans like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and a slew of others who have faced tough situations in the playoffs before.
The Los Angeles Lakers will almost certainly have to face either the Phoenix Suns or the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. Despite the fact that both of those teams have guys with some experience, no one has more experience than the Lakers. Obviously, experience or not, beating either of those teams isn't going to be easy, but as we've seen in the past, many of the Lakers' players know how to get the job done when it matters most.
1. LeBron James is still capable of leading a team to a championship
It's difficult to determine whether or not LeBron James is still capable of leading a team as bad as the Lakers have been, but the fact is, he still can. The Lakers' only hope now is that other players on their roster will stand up and do what they need to do to assist him.
At the end of the day, LeBron James can be the best player on the court, but if he doesn't have any support from his teammates, the Lakers will struggle in the postseason. On the other hand, if the Lakers' roster can assist him out a little bit, they'll be a very difficult team to beat.
Pretenders
2. Anthony Davis must be in good health
Despite the fact that Anthony Davis wasn't playing his best basketball when he was on the floor, he is still someone who will always have a great influence on the Lakers. Even though he isn't performing as dominant as he was a few seasons ago, he is still a player who will provide you with more than adequate minutes and will help your team win a title. Los Angeles will need to find a way to keep him healthy for the playoffs if they want to have any chance of winning at the conclusion of the season.
It's not going to be simple for this Lakers squad to achieve this, as sad as it is, he hasn't been healthy for most of his career. He constantly manages to have small ailments that keep him out for long periods of time or injuries that prevent him from playing at the highest level of basketball he can.
If the Lakers want to be championship contenders, they'll need Anthony Davis to step up and stay healthy. The Lakers are unlikely to have much success in the playoffs if he isn't healthy.
1. Russell Westbrook and other supporting players must step up
There's no other way to phrase it: Russell Westbrook hasn't been playing very well this season. He was one of those players who everyone felt would be a fantastic match for this Los Angeles Lakers team heading into the year, and that he would be the guy who would push them over the top to help them with an NBA title.
Now, a few months after that signing and 60 regular-season games later, it's evident that his performance this season has fallen short of expectations. The Lakers are experiencing everything that Russell Westbrook could possibly be doing wrong. He has a habit of turning the ball over, and he is also incredibly inefficient from the field. If the Lakers want to be successful, he needs to start finding out how to play better basketball, even if it means playing a smaller role.
