Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James don’t worry Draymond Green

The Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James on the team now, but Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors still aren’t worried.

The Los Angeles Lakers finally landed the superstar they had sought when they signed LeBron James in free agency. James and the Lakers agreed to a four-year, $154 million deal, giving the Lakers the superstar they have lacked since Kobe Bryant retired.

With James now in the fold, expectations are rising in Los Angeles. The Lakers have missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, the longest drought in franchise history. That streak is expected to be snapped with James’ help.

Last season the Lakers won 35 games last season but were better than their record showed. Los Angeles dealt with a number of injuries, as Julius Randle was the only player to appear in all 82 games. Brook Lopez, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were the only other players to appear in at least 74 games. Lonzo Ball missed 30, while Brandon Ingram missed 23.

Natural progression and better help would result in more wins for the Lakers in the 2018-19 season. That should happen, plus some, with James and the other veteran additions helping along the process.

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In the super competitive Western Conference, the Lakers should be right in the thick of things. Los Angeles was competitive last season and some of those close losses should turn into victories.

The Lakers will be a trendy pick for the Western Conference and NBA Finals. Had they been in the Eastern Conference, the Lakers would be clear-cut favorites. Unfortunately, they are in the Western Conference and have to deal with teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder.

Those three teams are probably in the upper tier of the conference, with the Warriors in a class of their own. James will help elevate the Lakers, but some people still aren’t worried. One of those people is Draymond Green.

Green is a firm believer in the fact that the Warriors have nothing to worry about when it comes to their opponents. He cemented that standing when talking to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

"“Teams worry about us. We don’t worry about nobody. We are the champs. Why do we have to worry about anybody? They have to worry about us. They say we are ruining the league. I love it!”"

When you are a part of arguably the greatest NBA team ever assembled, it is not shocking to be overflowing with confidence. Since the Warriors added Kevin Durant in 2016, they have run roughshod over the rest of the NBA.

Durant joining Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Green makes for the most dangerous offensive team in the league. On defense, they aren’t too shabby either as Thompson and Green are both elite defenders, while Durant excels as a rim protector.

However, this isn’t the same James-led teams that the Warriors have faced in recent seasons in the NBA Finals. Yes, the Warriors are still the favored team, but the young Lakers gave Golden State a run for their money last season, pushing the reigning champs to overtime twice.

With another year of experience and James, at least one of those games could easily turn into a victory.