The Los Angeles Lakers have set a new goal for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
The Los Angeles Lakers have dominated to begin the 2019-20 season. They have an impressive 24-5 record, which leads the Western Conference by four games over the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers are now returning home after a tough five-game road trip. That road trip concluded a brutal stretch of 15 games, in which the Lakers played 12 times away from the STAPLES Center. This stretch of games was going to be a litmus test for some people, and it is safe to say the Lakers passed.
The only blemish from this stretch is that the Lakers lost consecutive games for the first time this season. The road trip ended of a low note, as Los Angeles lost to the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pacers have been playing good basketball this season despite not having their go-to star, Victor Oladipo, in the lineup yet this season. The Lakers played that game without one of their stars as well, Anthony Davis.
In the huge matchup against the Bucks, Davis suited up but the Lakers could not overcome reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It took the Lakers 29 games to lose back-to-back games for the first time this season. They wanted to go all season without a losing streak, but they have now made another goal. To go the remainder of the season without doing it again.
"“We’re resilient. We’re going to find ways to win,” big man Anthony Davis said after he played the entire second half on a sore right ankle in an attempt to bring L.A. back from a 21-point deficit. “We’re going to keep battling. That’s our mindset all year. Even though we did lose two in a row, our mindset is still, let’s not lose two in a row. Let’s not drop another after we lose one, learn from the first one and do what we can to make sure the next one we come out with a victory.”"
That is a lofty goal to have. With the ever-changing landscape of the NBA and load management becoming more popular, losing streaks are almost bound to happen. Guys are resting pretty regularly, but the Lakers aren’t going to let that stop them from attempting to achieve their goals.
It is pretty impressive the Lakers went 29 games before losing back-to-back games, but it speaks to the impressive job that head coach Frank Vogel has done.
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Los Angeles hasn’t had its full complement of players virtually all season as injuries have popped up throughout the first two months of the season. Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, three key pieces to the rotation, have all missed at least nine games already, leading to constant lineup shuffling by Vogel.
While Vogel has had to make adjustments and has made them well thus far, he has had the luxury of having LeBron James play and start in every game thus far this season. As long as one of James or Davis, who has missed two games for injuries, is in the lineup, the Lakers will have a chance to win.
"“You want to make goals along the process, along the way, along the marathon,” LeBron James said. “And for us to play exceptional basketball for the majority of this part of the season, it’s commitment of focus, it’s a commitment of what we’re trying to do: Continue to get better and just be laser sharp for a majority of the process so far. So we’re just going to try to continue that.”"
James has embraced the leadership role this season, setting the tone for his teammates not only playing in all the games this season while other stars rest, but with his performance on the court.
The Lakers have high expectations. Accomplishing the goal of not losing back-to-back games again this season won’t be easy, but as long as James continues playing at this level, anything is possible.