Lake Show Life
Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers: 3 things that could derail LA from winning the title

By Robert Marvi

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 01: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the bench during the second half in Game Five of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on June 01, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 01: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the bench during the second half in Game Five of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on June 01, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. The age of the Los Angeles Lakers’ frontcourt

The Los Angeles Lakers have a frontcourt that is definitely up there in age, in basketball terms. Several of its players are old enough to qualify for Social Security and Medicare and receive early bird dinner discounts at Applebee’s.

Many of us have read and heard stupid jokes like that about the age of some of the free agents the Lakers signed, but it was a real concern I had coming into free agency, given the team’s limited resources.

Carmelo Anthony has done a nice job of reinventing himself as an effective 3-point shooter, but he’s 37 years of age. Ariza, the former Laker many of us remember as a young colt on the 2009 championship team, is 36, while Marc Gasol, last season’s starting center for much of the campaign, is also 36.

Dwight Howard, who has returned to the team he rewrote his legacy playing for in 2020, is 35, but I’m not as concerned about his mileage since he’s an impressive physical specimen.

Oh, and James is 36 years of age, to go along with an insane amount of mileage. Very few players in NBA history have played more minutes, both regular season and playoffs combined, than he has.

The first concern is if these guys will stay relatively healthy for an entire regular season and playoff run. But in addition to that, will they all continue to perform as well as they did last season?

Once players reach their mid-30s, all bets are off when it comes to when they will decline or even fall off a cliff. It can happen at any time.

I think the Lakers should probably be favored to return to the NBA Finals, but will these guys be able to get it done against the Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks in June when the world championship will be at stake?

Both those teams feature frontcourts that are not nearly as old as the Lakers’ frontcourt.

Howard, Anthony, Ariza and Gasol better pack their dentures, drink their Ensure and take their Tums, because pro basketball is by and large a young man’s game.

Next. 50 greatest Lakers of all-time. dark

Today’s NBA is loaded to the brim with talented young guys who will be licking their chops at the prospect of sending the Lakers’ more experienced players to an old folks’ home.

Home/Lakers News