The Los Angeles Lakers currently lead the NBA’s Western Conference standings with a record of 49-14, 5 ½ games of their Staples Center co-tenants, the Los Angeles Clippers. Their 26-6 away record is one of the most impressive parts of their season to date, as the tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis has paid off in Hollywood. The Lakers started their season red-hot before leveling out a bit. They had won eight games out of the last ten, though, going into the suspension, taking down the Milwaukee Bucks in a physical game and also beating the Clippers. The team had just added Dion Waiters as part of making a stretch run to the postseason, which sat about 20 games away. The NBA is on suspension for at least 30 days, so it remains to be seen what will happen if and when the league returns. For now, let’s take a look at how the Lakers appear to shape up going into a hypothetical postseason, given that you can still put money on them to win the NBA title as part of sports betting on futures.
NBA: L.A. Lakers 2019-20 Season Analysis
Offensive Analysis
The Lakers rank seventh in the NBA, scoring 114.3 points per game. They have a +7.4 points per game margin, one of the top in the league. That combination of LeBron and AD is a key reason why they have the potential to be elite on both offense and defense. The team shoots 48.5 percent overall, an extremely impressive number. It is worth asking, of course, whether the team can maintain that after returning from the suspension and how that number might change when defenses ramp up in the playoffs.
LeBron James is the NBA leader in assists per game, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has also improved in distribution, after a difficult start to the season. The fact that these numbers are holding up against other elite teams in the league, instead of just the lottery teams, is a testament to the superior level of play the Lakers have established.
Defensive Analysis
Anthony Davis is a solid candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, but he is not the only Laker playing well. The team permits 106.9 points per game, third best in the NBA. Their defense against three-point shooting is third best in the NBA as well, as they permit just 34.2 percent shooting from downtown. No team blocks more shots than the Lakers do (6.8 per game), and they rank fourth in the league in steals (8.2 per game). The activity that the Lakers show on the defensive end of the floor has paid off.
Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley and Danny Green have all made All-Defensive rosters in previous seasons. In some cases, those honors came several seasons ago, but they still have the savvy to fill in where needed and put together an elite defensive effort as a cohesive unit.
Key Players/Numbers
The signings of Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo were risky propositions. In recent years, both of them have caused as many problems in their locker rooms as they had made contributions on the floor. Rondo doesn’t have the minutes that he has had in previous seasons, and Howard had shown decline in the rebounding game. However, understanding that a championship in reach has, at least so far, kept their egos in check, and they have contributed. They are acting like veteran leaders. Another veteran contributing is Jared Dudley, who spends as much time coaching up the younger players as well as he does playing on the court, if not more.
Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 9/5
It is hard to argue against the Lakers entering the playoffs as a prohibitive favorite to win the NBA title. LeBron James has had a solid season and has remained healthy, showing that he can run the point when he needs to, playing the backcourt while AD sets up shop inside. When adversity comes, LeBron has long tended to fold, as we saw most recently in his frustration in the Lakers’ seasons outside the playoffs, but the Lakers may have the roster to shield him from that.
