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After an agonising wait of over 100 days following the abrupt suspension of the 2019-20 season on March 11, the NBA finally made the official announcement that basketball fans all over the world had been waiting to hear.
The season will restart on July 30, with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association coming up with a comprehensive plan for basketball’s return to action in a new format. 22 teams will be returning to play out the rest of the regular season in a single-site campus at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, amid stringent health and safety protocols.
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Each NBA franchise has been uniquely affected by the lengthy layoff - for some, the new format means that the 2019-20 NBA season is over, while others can look forward to the resumption of basketball with a renewed vigour.
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The LA Lakers are an outfit that falls firmly into the latter category and had been looking like a genuine title contender all season. Not only had they led the Western Conference for most of the season, but they had stepped up another gear before the league was forced to press pause, winning 13 of their 16 games prior to the hiatus.
And now, taking a conference-leading 49-14 record into the restart, here are 5 ways that the Lakers’ title charge has only been bolstered by the season being suspended.
#1. Their aging squad (one member in particular) gets welcome rest
While the star-studded Lakers roster makes for impressive reading (with the stats column backing it up), there is one list that the Lakers might not want to be so close to the top of. As per official NBA figures, this years’ LA Lakers clock in at an average age of 29.07, making them the second-oldest team in the league behind the Houston Rockets, who move into the thirties at 30.24.
With big names like LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, and four other players in the squad aged over 30, playing at the same level of intensity might have taken a toll come the playoffs.
That being said, 35-year-old LeBron James had been doing his best to prove that age is just a number, averaging 30 points, 9.4 assists, and 8.2 rebounds per game with 55.1% shooting since the All-Star break in February.
Even so, several months’ rest in the middle of the season gives the squad an opportunity to recharge and attack the remainder of the season with a full-strength and well-rested squad, a sentiment that was echoed recently by Lakers PF Anthony Davis:
“Actually, I think our chances are higher, just because we’re all rested and we’re all ready to go. If anything, our chances got higher, and it’s going to be about just who wants it more.”
Also Read: Lakers' chances of NBA success higher after break – Davis
#2. No more niggling injuries
Although a mid-season interruption such as the All-Star break and even more lengthy stoppages like this current suspension can often kill the momentum of an in-form team, there can be silver linings found here as well. In the case of the Lakers, it comes in the form of ample time to recover from injuries for star players like James and Davis as well as crucial squad players like Alex Caruso.
While James is still recovering from a groin tear that kept him out for a large part of last season (not to mention that he’s playing in his 17th season), the major beneficiary of this layoff is undoubtedly the much-younger Davis.
Having had problems with his elbow, tailbone, and shoulder at various points of the season, the former Pelicans man is now fully fit and raring to go once again:
“It’s been good for me to let some of the lingering injuries I had toward the time when the NBA stopped kind of recover and heal. I can get back into the best version of myself. I feel 100% healthy. Well, I don’t ‘feel,’ I am (100% healthy). I feel like I’m ready to go.”
#3. Time to integrate new squad members
Ahead of the July 30 restart date, each of the 22 teams in the NBA will scrimmage against a team in the opposite conference or one that is unlikely to be a first-round playoff opponent.
These practise games are useful for players to get into shape and to get a feel of playing inside the bubble, also giving the coaching staff time to test out players, plays, combinations, and integrate new arrivals into their plans with the playoffs looming large.
This could prove to be extremely beneficial for the Lakers, who have welcomed a few new faces into the fold in recent times.
The Western Conference leaders made two new additions to the roster just before the season was suspended. Forward Markieff Morris joined from the Pistons towards the end of February and has already made 8 appearances for them, averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in just under 15 minutes of play.
He was followed by guard Dion Waiters in early March, who arrived as a free agent after being let go by the Miami Heat and did not take the court for the Lakers before the suspension. Perhaps the most intriguing addition, however, was that of JR Smith, who was recently added to the squad as a replacement for Avery Bradley, who has opted out of finishing the season citing ‘family reasons’.
Smith’s long-awaited arrival was confirmed by the Lakers on July 1. The 34-year-old is a 15-year veteran of the league, 2013 Sixth Man of the Year, and also happens to be a trusted teammate of James, with whom he won a title in 2016 and reached four consecutive NBA Finals during their time together at the Cavs.
Even though he is expected to play no more than a supporting role, Smith’s perimeter defence and three-point shooting are an excellent fit for the Lakers, and he is likely to prove to be a shrewd pickup as the Lakers go for the 17th title in their history.
#4. Experience will count for a lot
While form, talent, chemistry, and fitness have their own part to play in a successful title run, experience is a factor that is just as important in guiding a championship hopeful through the knockout games.
While it has already been established that the Lakers’ squad is one of the oldest in the league, it is also one of the most experienced. Apart from James and Smith, it also features a number of other NBA champions including Rondo, Danny Green, and JaVale McGee.
JR’s addition to the squad is incredibly well-timed, as he is currently ninth in NBA history in career playoff three-pointers made and fourth in NBA Finals three-pointers made. \
Alongside the form of Anthony Davis, who was making a strong claim for the Defensive Player of the Year award (averaging 26.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 3.1 assists with 27 double-doubles in 55 games), their cumulative experience in the playoffs might prove to be crucial.
Another factor that might have to be taken into consideration is that these experienced players will know their limits physically much better, and will be able to stay injury-free after such a long break.
#5. The Lakers are clear beneficiaries of the new regular season format post-restart
The restart of the 2019-20 season will see the regular season being finished off in a new format, before the playoffs proceed in the traditional knockout manner. Each team will play eight more games before the playoffs begin, with the schedules being drawn up based on the teams’ remaining regular season matchups.
At the end of these games, the Lakers and the Spurs will have played the least number of games in the regular season (71) which might also prove to be important in the playoffs, where the finest margins count for a lot.
Not only will the Lakers have played fewer games than most of their playoff opponents, these eight games will also have a say in seeding for the playoffs. Each team’s playoff seed will be calculated taking into account their regular season record and their record in the seeding games.
With the Lakers boasting the best record in the Western Conference already, this format plays right into their hands in the current situation.
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