Getty Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball.
After a promising showing in the preseason, the Lakers’ duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is finally ready to be unleashed on the basketball world. With neither player seeing upwards of 30 minutes in any preseason game, we’ve only seen in short stints just how dangerous the two dan be. However, those short stints have yielded some incredible results as in just over 60 minutes of time on the court together through five games, James and Davis have led the Lakers to a +31 net rating when they share the court.
Surrounded by veteran role players with an emphasis on shooting and defense, the Lakers look to have a strong and deep team capable of making a run into the later rounds of the NBA playoffs.
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Lakers Opening Night Roster & Starting Lineup
* Denotes Expected Starter
PG:Avery Bradley*
SG:Danny Green*
SF:LeBron James*
PF:Anthony Davis*
C:JaVale McGee*
Bench: Quinn Cook, Dwight Howard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Troy Daniels, Jared Dudley
Two-Way: Kostas Antetokounmpo, Zach Norvell Jr.
Injured: Kyle Kuzma (out), Rajon Rondo (out), Alex Caruso (questionable), Talen Horton-Tucker (out), DeMarcus Cousins (out)
Anthony Davis Headlines New Core for the Los Angeles Lakers
In order to bring Anthony Davis onboard, the Lakers were forced to part with nearly their entire core of exciting young players. Losing Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart to the Pelicans for Davis, the Lakers also shipped off Moritz Wagner and fan-favorite Isaac Bonga to clear up some money. While the Lakers are undoubtedly a better team for it, they look entirely different compared to last year.
Gone is the youthful core – except Kyle Kuzma – replaced by a core of mostly wily role-playing veterans. Along with James and Davis, the Lakers went out and signed Danny Green to a multi-year deal with an AAV of $15 million, indicating that the three and D specialist is a big part of their plans moving forward. The Lakers also added Avery Bradley on a team-friendly deal this offseason. Bradley has quickly worked his way into becoming an essential component to the Lakers and now finds himself starting at point guard.
The new faces alongside returning players like Kuzma and James give the Lakers a core much better suited to win now. Especially as father time actively wages war on LeBron James, the Lakers were smart to cash in their young assets and help provide him with a core group of high IQ veterans. Though it may hurt seeing Lonzo Ball or Brandon Ingram blossom into a superstar for another team, the Lakers undoubtedly made the right call given the franchise’s circumstance.
The Lakers core gets an early opportunity to send a message to the rest of the league in the form of an opening night matchup against the Clippers. The Clippers added their own pair of superstars while keeping a playoff-caliber team mostly intact. Widely considered to be the other frontrunner in the Western Conference, the Lakers have a stiff test – but huge opportunity – in front of them tonight