Entering the 2021-22 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have the look of an NBA Finals team after all the moves they executed in the offseason.
The Lakers added Russell Westbrook to the superstar tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, then flanked them with several veterans to space the floor and protect the rim. Even though the team is older, they have the requisite experience and talent to win it all next June.
Despite their collective age, Los Angeles is heavily favored to win the Western Conference and players like CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers recognize that they have significantly upgraded their roster, as he discussed on an appearance on Jalen & Jacoby:
“They reloaded. They reloaded, they brought in a lot of veterans, they brought in my guy Melo. I think they’ll be a solid team, obviously good starters, good backups, they have the depth that will allow Bron and AD and Russ and some of those guys to rest some games throughout the season which is probably ideal. But it’s gonna be competitive. I got nothing but respect for the rest of the league, especially the Lakers. It’s gonna be competitive and I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone has improved this upcoming season.”
When analyzing the Lakers roster, it is hard to pinpoint many flaws as each player has a unique skillset to complement the stars. Vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka made sure to address the team’s shooting woes, while also adding solid backup big men to give Davis a break from guarding up during the regular season.
There are plenty of reasons to feel confident about the Purple and Gold’s chances to raise banner No. 18 considering the players have already begun to embrace the narrative that they are too old to compete. Head coach Frank Vogel believes the Lakers are just as dangerous as any team and players like McCollum may be in for a long season if the team is able to perform to its lofty standards.
Kendrick Perkins pushes back against Lakers doubters
Although several members of the media have downplayed the Lakers chances of winning the 2022 NBA Championship, Kendrick Perkins has instead gone the other direction. Perkins actually pushed back on the idea that Los Angeles is too old to win a title, citing Davis’s potential to be the best player in the league and the help he has in the frontcourt.
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