Getty LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
There’s not much optimism surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers‘ chances of winning an NBA championship in the upcoming season, despite the fact they boast three legitimate superstars on their roster.
However, former NBA champion, Iman Shumpert, believes that if Los Angeles can make it to the post-season, and are relatively healthy, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have what it takes to take their team across the finish line.
“If healthy. We’re talking about health. We didn’t see Bron, AD and Russ just healthy together figuring it out. It’s a lot of lineup switches, and this and that. They didn’t play well, Russ had a bad go at it. It became a circus around him (Westbrook). They’re grown men, these ain’t no kids, they don’t need us talking about this for them to figure it out.
AD and Bron in the playoffs is gonna be dangerous. … Patrick Beverley in playoffs is an issue … They have a team that knows how to win in the playoffs, and once they hone in on that, and their collective pieces around them do what they’re supposed to do… Bron is notorious for putting a team together and whether y’all see it or not, he gonna figure it out, and how it works. We just didn’t get to see AD healthy,” Shumpert said during an October 11 interview on VLAD TV.
After winning their latest championship in 2020, the Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs during the first round in 2021 and failed to make the post-season in 2022. Now, the Lakers front office will be hoping that Darvin Ham will be the man capable of leading them back to a deep post-season run after two seasons of struggles.
Jeanie Buss Taking Aim at Boston
The Lakers and Boston Celtics both currently boast 17 NBA championships, and their intense rivalry is still as strong as ever – well, between fanbases at least. Yet, according to Jeanie Buss in a recent episode of ‘The true story of the LA Lakers,’ she’s committed to beating Boston to an 18th championship, and thus, making Los Angeles the most successful basketball team in the NBA.
Jeanie Buss on @celtics:
“It is important to me to finish what he [Dr.Buss] started, which is to have the most championships in the @NBA. We are now tied w the Celtics, I gotta get number 18 before they do,” says @JeanieBuss.
“It’s important to me, to finish what he (Jerry Buss) started. Which was to have the most championships in the NBA. We are now tied with the Celtics. I’ve gotta get number 18 before they do,” Buss said.
Still, while the Lakers were watching the playoffs from home this past summer, the Celtics were making their way to the NBA Finals – however, after an off-season of controversy and upheaval, the playing field looks level between these two storied franchises.
Patrick Beverley is Upset Marcus Smart Won DPOY
Sticking with the Lakers and Celtics rivalry, it would seem that Patrick Beverley already feels like he has a score to settle with the Eastern Conference champions – most notably with Marcus Smart after he beat Beverley to becoming the first guard to win Defensive Player of the Year since Gary Payton in 1996.
“Part of me was pissed the f*ck off Dray!”
—@patbev21 and @Money23Green discuss @smart_MS3 winning DPOY
“Part of me was p***** the f*** off, Dray. I ain’t gonna lie, bro. I’d be a fool not to sit—from a competitor’s standpoint, I’d be a cap sitting on here telling you I wasn’t p***** off when that happened. Not from like, I don’t want him to get it, from like, ‘Damn, I’m happy a guard got it, but damn, I’ve been sitting right here. I’ve been sitting right here for years.’ But I respect it. A guard got it. So now, what do I have to do now? Do I have to block more shots,” Beverley said on an October 7 appearance on the Draymond Green Show Podcast.