The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to win another championship with their current franchise players. It's a statement that's more likely to be described as audacious than realistic in NBA circles, due in no small part to the fact that the current depth chart is almost identical to that of the 2023-24 team that lost in the first round of the playoffs.
If the 2024 Summer Olympics are proving anything, however, it's that the Lakers aren't quite as delusional as some might presume.
Team USA is off to a strong start in Paris after dominating the second half en route to a 110-84 win over Nikola Jokic and Serbia. The Americans recovered from a slow start due to the first-half brilliance of Kevin Durant, who missed just one shot as he scored 23 points in under 17 minutes.
Jrue Holiday added a massive 15 points, while Stephen Curry dazzled the crowd with his shooting, Devin Booker nearly forgot how to miss, and Anthony Edwards got it done on both ends of the floor.
For as well as those players performed, the reality is that Los Angeles' delusions of contending are suddenly looking a bit less unrealistic because of how the win over Serbia came about. At the heart of the dominant showing was the very combination that the Lakers are building around.
With LeBron James taking over yet again and Anthony Davis continuing to anchor the defense, Team USA took home a commanding win—and Los Angeles saw early signs of vindication.
Lakers stars Anthony Davis, LeBron James are a championship-level duo
Davis and James are coming off of All-NBA seasons, with the former also earning All-Defensive First Team honors. They rank among the best players on the planet, and between the USA Basketball Showcase and the Olympics, they've provided ample evidence to support that claim.
Against Serbia, James continued to turn back the clocks by taking over in key moments and helping to create a lead that couldn't be overcome—and there's reason to believe it will translate to the NBA.
James finished with 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and a steal in just under 27 minutes of play. He got into the teeth of the Serbian defense and scored at will, finishing with power and finesse depending on what the situation called for.
This is par for the course, as the 39-year-old finished the 2023-24 NBA regular season ranked No. 8 in points in the paint per game and shot 59.8 percent on drives.
Davis, meanwhile, led the Lakers in total and offensive rebounds while adding seven points on 3-of-6 shooting. It was hardly his most dominant performance from his summer of brilliance, but he was the answer to Serbia's early advantage on the offensive glass, as well as its otherwise efficient scoring inside.
With Davis anchoring the defense and James picking up where he left off at the USA Basketball Showcase as the Americans' go-to scorer in big moments, the Lakers witnessed a sustainable formula for success.
The key to the Lakers contending will be the effectiveness of the hiring of JJ Redick. Darvin Ham has seemingly been identified as the source of Los Angeles' recent woes, as the roster remains the same and the calls for improved accountability can be heard far and wide, both among players and executives.
It's no longer as simple as assembling a great combination of stars in the NBA, but the Lakers have the top-tier franchise players to contend.
It's up to Redick and the role players to bridge the gap.