Getty Draymond Green & Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
Despite having four championships under his belt and a claim to the title of greatest NBA player ever, LeBron James is still finding ways to get motivated. Last season didn’t end very well for the Los Angeles Lakers. They were title favorites for much of the season but got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns.
Instead of trying to run things back with the same roster, the Lakers made major changes. The team added big names like Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and more. While all of those players were once great, it’s fair to question if some of them are past their prime. The team’s age has often come up when criticizing the Lakers.
There is merit to the idea that the team is too old but LeBron isn’t buying it. He’s come out strong against the notion that the Lakers are too old. He’s even brought back the “Washed King” moniker that he’s used in the past. At 36-years-old, LeBron is still playing at a level that few have at his age. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is only 31-years-old but he’s looking to join the “All-Washed” team with the LeBron.
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Warriors Also Have an Old Team
Green has never reached the heights that LeBron has as a player but he is a three-time All-Star and was named First-Team All-Defense for his work last season. He hasn’t had the same impact over the last couple of seasons but is still a very good player. He’s probably too young to earn a spot on LeBron’s “All-Washed” team.
However, the team he plays for is looking pretty old at the top. Both Green and Klay Thompson are 31 while Steph Curry is 33. They aren’t quite as old as the Lakers and they do have much more youth throughout the roster but their stars certainly aren’t young.
Who Is the Biggest Threat to the Lakers out West?
Age is going to be a big topic in the NBA next season. The Warriors, Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are all older teams but should be in championship contention at the end of the year. In the Western Conference, it will be interesting to see how things play out as the best teams are either really old or really young.
The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz were two of the better teams out West last season and both teams are still very young. The Suns do have some young stars but are led by a 36-year-old Chris Paul. An argument can be made that the three best teams in the Western Conference are led by players who are 33+. Having youth is great but experience usually wins out in the playoffs. We saw that with the Nuggets and Jazz in the playoffs. The future isn’t very bright for the Lakers but they have enough right now to be considered the favorites in the West.
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