The Los Angeles Lakers took a much-needed breath of fresh air with a two-game winning streak in the last two games they played, specifically against the Sexton-less Cleveland Cavaliers and the demolished Orlando Magic.
These victories came against two teams in really bad conditions and they are not wins to take pride on, but that is not really of our concern. After all, a victory is still a victory in the ever-changing landscape of the NBA, especially in a year of uncertainty like the one we are going through, where the availability of the roster and the full level of competitiveness of a team are all but assured.
It is impossible to predict who will be able to play night in and night out with a certain degree of certainty. A player may become inactive in every moment, as infections and health and safety protocols prevent individuals from taking the court without any distinction nor regard toward the work put in to be physically ready to play.
In addition, injuries maintain their usual impact on the game, worsening the situation for coaches’ sleepless nights and team results. As is the case for the Lakers, which lost both their leading stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James to injuries.
While the two nurture their injuries, the team’s sole concern is to remain in the playoff picture, avoiding the play-in tournament area until their stars will be back.
However, given the fact that the purple and gold still are the defending champions, and the fortune they had for the great roster Rob Pelinka put together despite the fresh success, it is important to maintain optimism (if you do not have exhausted it trying to survive the COVID pandemic) and look at the glass half full.
There are positives of this stretch for the Los Angeles Lakers.
These trying times are definitely going to be a challenge for the team, but surviving them will be a huge plus towards a possible repeat. Challenges are the way to improvement and ultimate success.
As of now, with things going down, it might sound just like the perspective of an incurable optimist, but the positives in this situation that over time will be appreciable.