The 2018-19 season was one of the most disappointing ones in Los Angeles Lakers history. They made plenty of positive offseason moves, but some are still counting them out.
A year ago, after adding LeBron James and reliable vets such as Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee, it looked like the Los Angeles Lakers were back. Maybe not all the way back, but it looked like they had a roster that was capable of winning about 50 games.
Instead, James, Rondo, McGee, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Tyson Chandler fell victim to key injuries and ailments, plus there was the whole Anthony Davis trade fiasco at mid-season.
Immediately following the start of that fiasco, James seemed disconnected from his teammates and showed bad leadership. The Lakers, who were 20-14 after their Christmas Day beatdown of the Golden State Warriors, missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year.
By all outward indications, their roster for the 2019-20 is decidedly stronger. Any observer would have to conclude that, at the very least, the Lakers will be one of the lead contenders for the NBA championship come next spring.
However, some don’t seem nearly as stoked about their chances. ESPN recently published an article with their projected standings for this upcoming season, and they only had the purple and gold at fifth in the west at 51 wins. Meanwhile, there seems to be a massive love fest for the Clippers among the mainstream media. The Clippers will also be great, no doubt, but the Lakers are being shortchanged in the process.
Here are five reasons why the Lakers have a championship-caliber roster right now.