It’s now been quite a while since an NBA game has been played and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight. The Los Angeles Lakers have perhaps the most to lose if the season is outright canceled. They were on a roll before the season was put on suspension and considering the team’s best player is 35, they might not be able to recapture the magic next season.
Players for the Lakers have been operating under the mindset that the season will continue and Avery Bradley recently revealed what the team is doing to stay focused during the hiatus.
“We’re obviously not around each other right now and not able to build that chemistry on and off the floor,” Bradley said on ESPN’s Mason & Ireland Show. “Right now, I think the most important thing is just making sure we stay in that basketball mindset as of right now. Making sure we’re focused and we’re optimistic about the season starting back up [because] I feel like if you mentally check out already right now and if the season were to start, you wouldn’t really be ready. So mentally, I feel like right now we’re all trying to keep in touch with each other, so we’re all continuing to help one another just to continue focus on the season … we still have a goal to win a championship.”
Avery Bradley talks about the @Lakers staying mentally together during the hiatus, time with his kids, and golf claps.
Listen to the full chat with @VeniceMase & @LAIreland on the ESPN podcast 🎧 t.co/lFLD88TuIk
The Lakers have been on a mission all season. They want to bring a championship back to Los Angeles. They’ve worked incredibly hard to get a firm grasp on the number one seed in the Western Conference. Also, losing the 2019-2020 season would discount LeBron James’ excellent season, which is perhaps the best by somebody his age in NBA history.
Anthony Davis Echoes Similar Sentiment
In a recent interview with Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, Lakers star Anthony Davis echoed a lot of what Bradley is saying.
“We’re sending each other highlight tapes because we miss the game,” Davis said. “Guys are finding a way to work out safely because you know the season isn’t over. We want to make sure we pick up where we left off. We were in a great place.”
The Davis factor can’t be ignored when discussing the idea of potentially canceling the season. He’s not under contract past this season. If the season is canceled and Davis goes to another team, the Lakers gave up most of their young talent for essentially nothing. Los Angeles has a lot of pull when it comes to these decisions and it’s hard to imagine they will be okay with the idea of just starting fresh later in the year.
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A Potential Title Run Diminished Even If Season Returns?
Now, if the season is shortened and the Lakers win the title in an unorthodox way, there will certainly be people who say that it’s not a “real” title. However, nobody cares in the long run. At the end of the day, the Lakers would be able to put a banner up that said they won the championship in 2020. The same goes for any other team that might win. A diminished title is still better than no title at all.
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Lakers Veteran Drops Intriguing Insight on How Team Is Staying Focused