Pro: It freshens up the Los Angeles Lakers
There definitely is going to be a slight hiccup in the players getting back into NBA shape after months away from competition, but that is something that every team is dealing with. As long as guys did what they were supposed to do and stayed in shape during this hiatus, then getting back to game speed should not be a huge problem for the league.
The positive thing of not having any games in this time is that the Lakers have had some time to hit the reset button and let their bodies relax, at least from the trials and tribulations of playing NBA games.
Now, every single team got this same break, so it is not like the Lakers are necessarily going to be fresher than the rest of the league. However, with LeBron James as the number one star and so many veterans on the roster, I think it benefits the Lakers more than other teams.
Just look at what the Los Angeles Clippers did this season. They fully embraced load management with their superstars so they could be fresh for the playoffs. Now, with this extended break, any potential advantage of resting Kawhi Leonard for 15-20 games is gone.
All that results now is that the Clippers do not have as many first-team reps as the Lakers and when the league resumes, the Lakers are going to be better equipped to jump straight into it.
The Lakers’ on-court chemistry is impeccable and that is going to give the team an inherent advantage in getting over this learning curve that every team has to go through. The Lakers get refreshed and they didn’t have to sacrifice regular-season games (and position in the standings) in the process.