You all know how it is. When you are a die-hard fan of a team for so long, of course you always want to keep them at a different level than you would other teams right? It’s almost sort of not fair as to how you judge because you are biased. I have been the victim of this with the Los Angeles Lakers for a long time.
However, I have grown quite more objective and realistic and I always try to base my opinion on what it is that I see.
That being said, here are the reasons why I think the Lakers are going to repeat as champions this season.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers will repeat as champions:
Team Chemistry – Injuries, injuries, oh the injuries! Yeah, we know. There are some teams that fall and never quite recover when the injury bug hits or the bug bites so catastrophically that it just takes over the season.
Certain teams, however, are able to hold things together as best they can and grow a bit stronger. The core of the team finds a way to come together and deal with the situation that is going on. This is the current Lakers team.
They seem to be doing their best to blend together with the chemistry that they have and it only seems to be getting better. Dennis Schroder is finding his footwork and showing why the Lakers acquired him. Montrezl Harrel has been one of the most durable and consistent players for the Lakers this season and only seems to get better with each game.
The resurrection of Kyle Kuzma, the growth of Talen Horton-Tucker, the selfless play of Alex Caruso, and the continuing solid play of Markieff Morris, this team’s chemistry is getting better and will continue to come together when they are at 100%.
Experience – They say experience is everything. Well, when it comes to winning a championship, a good amount of the current Los Angeles Lakers team knows what it takes. It will be those players that will help the others to learn and understand.
Being a champion knows that you have climbed the mountain before. That being said, being a champion also means that you are aware that there are others out that that want what you have and that you have to be on your guard and at your best always.
This team knows this well as LeBron and company have made it known. They have the experience and it is one element that is needed to be a champion.
Andre Drummond – If all works out well, which it most definitely shall, this will go down as one of the best deals the Los Angeles Lakers have made. Drummond brings to the team what is needed most and that is defense and a presence around the basket on both sides of the ball. He will give them more of an edge and make it very uncomfortable for opponents in the post.
Kyle Kuzma – He’s been playing great this season despite all the injuries. In fact, he has looked much better during this hard time for the team and seems to have taken on a leadership role. His rebounding skills have been amazing this season. If he continues to be a threat like this, opponents will surely be in deep trouble. A snake with far too many heads is very hard to kill!
Montrezl Harrel – Yes, I have said it numerous times but so what? He’s the best free-agent acquisition in the NBA. One of the most durable and fearless players. Great in the low post and an all-out hustler. He will be one of the many deciding factors when it comes down to the clutch and many teams do not possess players like him.
DEFENSE! – (Sorry about the caps. I was thinking about Robert Duvall’s line from the wonderful film, Falling Down). The Laker defense has been solid all season. It will only be that much better with Drummond, and when AD and LeBron come back. Their defensive rating is number one in the NBA.
Frank Vogel – It seems to me that head coaches sometimes do not get the respect they deserve, especially in today’s game. He has emerged as one of the best coaches in the NBA. Under him, the Lakers have become a defensive juggernaut and not a common run-and-score type of team that doesn’t play a stitch of defense. He has also blended the minutes well within the Lakers lineup.
Another thing I love about him is that he is not afraid to let the referees know when they have done a horrible job. Certain people will say that anyone could coach a team with such loaded talent but that is not always true. How many well-talented teams have failed in the past? Quite a bit.
The Return of James and Davis – (Sort of sounds like an action movie huh?) It will be epic! Davis has had a good amount of time to properly rest as the Lakers have not rushed him back into action. You know that LeBron is going to come back with a vengeance. The injury gives him something more to prove which only will make the team more deadly.
Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka – Despite what haters, naysayers, or anyone else may have to say, I think they have done a wonderful job. They didn’t hesitate to make a false move during the trade deadline, and they made the wonderful move of signing Drummond.
They didn’t overload this team (Hello Brooklyn Nets). They have put together a great group of talent that is mixing quite well.
After all, we know that not everyone has what it takes to be part of the best organization in the NBA as well as one of the all-time greatest in sports. Buss and Pelinka have built a very solid team in the post-Mamba era and that is never an easy task to do.
So I say to all gamblers out there, put your money on the Los Angeles Lakers.