Why the Los Angeles Lakers should be the NBA Title favorites
By Jason Reed
2. The Los Angeles Lakers have more superstar firepower
Superstars win championships, period. The best player in the league does not always win the NBA Championship and the supporting cast around him can often make the difference. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the league, and he absolutely has a solid roster around him, but he does not have that superstar teammate to turn to when things get rough.
Khris Middleton is a really good player and was an all-star this season, but he does not offer Giannis the same security that Anthony Davis offers LeBron, or even Paul George offers Kawhi.
George and Leonard are the second-best superstar duo in the league and we have to give credit where credit is due: they are going to be an extremely tough matchup. They are two wing players that have to be defended that also play solid defense. It is not going to be an easy task.
However, we have seen in the small sample size that the two stars still might not be completely acquainted with each other. They do a lot of the same things and it can be easier to take one of them (George) almost out of the game, whereas it is harder to do with the Lakers’ superstar duo.
That is another advantage that the Lakers’ duo has: playing time together. When we get to the NBA Playoffs and two elite teams are squaring off we begin to split hairs. That is when things such as NBA Finals experience and familiarity can play a big role.
There is no debating that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are more familiar and comfortable playing together than Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Now, with everyone getting rest due to the league’s hiatus, the Clippers cannot even tout fresher legs as an advantage.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are two of the five best players in the league this season. That is going to be really hard to stop.