When the NBA revealed the dates for the 2020-21 preseason and regular season, it seemed like the Lakers could be at a disadvantage.

After all, while certain players around the league experienced a nine-month offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers were just two months removed from winning the franchise's 17th NBA championship in the bubble. Their best player just turned 36 years old (not that he's human).

However, the Lakers and their coaching staff have one notable edge over almost every other squad: they know what works.

As the condensed offseason and training camp/preseason schedule has many teams using the first chunk of the real season to develop chemistry, hone systems, and experiment with lineups, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel can rely on recently-proven championship formulas.

For instance, Vogel already knows his ideal crunch-time five, which he turned to on Wednesday night to close out the San Antonio Spurs, 121-107.

“I asked Frank Vogel about him closing the game with [Anthony Davis], [Markieff Morris], [LeBron James], [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] and [Dennis Schröder] tonight,” tweeted Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “He said that formula — AD, Kieff and LeBron plus two guards — is proven after winning a championship, and it's a grouping that he trusts and is confident in.”
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Schröder is a recent acquisition, but the template remains the same.

James had 26 points and eight assists on his birthday, while Davis contributed 20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Schröder continued his strong start to the season, adding 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting.

The win moved the defending champions to 3-2.

The Lakers' tactical readiness for the 2020-21 season has undoubtedly helped compensate for any physical shortcomings as a consequence of their short offseason.

The same two teams will run it back at the AT&T Center on Friday.