Are Lakers as good as their 22-3 record?
For a team from a city that thrives on compelling scripts, the Lakers could not have written a better one to start the season: Led by their two superstars, the rejuvenated Lakers have the NBA’s best record (22-3) in what marks Los Angeles’ best start in 34 years.
Granted, the true measure of success for the Lakers and their fans is whether the season ends with a championship parade. Nonetheless, these Lakers have offered promising signs they can hoist their 17th NBA championship trophy and their first since 2010.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been the NBA’s most dominant duo so far. The team has also found role players to fill nearly every need, including 3-point shooting (Danny Green), defense (Avery Bradley) and playmaking (Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso). The team has leaned on a head coach (Frank Vogel) who has earned his star players’ respect because of his preparation.
Because of this cast, the Lakers entered the season expecting to be a championship contender after missing the playoffs for six consecutive seasons during the worst stretch in franchise history. Yet the team did not think it would go this smooth.
The Lakers went 14-1 in November, their best record in a month since going 15-1 in March 20, three months before Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant won their first of three NBA titles together.
It seems unrealistic the Lakers can top their NBA-record 33-game winning streak from 1971-72. Not even the 2015-16 Warriors, 2013-14 Heat or 199596 Bulls could surpass that feat. And as with most teams in this load-management era, the Lakers will prioritize maximizing health over chasing regular-season records.
Nonetheless, the Lakers have outlined a blueprint on how to excel with their star talent while minimizing the drama that often comes with it.
James has averaged 25.8 points and a league-leading 10.8 assists and is hungry to return to the playoffs after missing last season for the first time since 2006. And Davis has averaged 27.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in his first season with the Lakers. Together they have shown early signs they can become an even better pairing than James had with Dwyane Wade in Miami and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
Like during his first season with Wade, James has mostly deferred to
Davis on offense. Unlike his first season with Wade, James has maintained his hierarchy as the team’s leader. Like during his time together with Irving, James and Davis give opponents fits because it becomes impossible to contain both of them. Unlike during his time together with Irving, James and Davis have not clashed at all.
Their supporting cast has also offered the best version of themselves. Green has help propel the Lakers in 3point shooting percentage from 29th last season (33.3%) to fifth (37.1%). Seven years after his disastrous lone season here, Dwight Howard has become the only player in the NBA to average at least seven rebounds while playing fewer than 20 minutes per night. Even with previous injuries to Kyle Kuzma, Bradley and Rondo, James, Davis and their supporting cast have filled in the gaps nicely.
The Lakers have done all of this under Vogel, who has navigated some anticipated speed bumps. Though the Lakers hired Vogel after passing on James’ preferred candidate (former Cavaliers coach Ty Lue), James has bought into Vogel much quicker than it took with Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Cleveland’s David Blatt.
After accepting the Lakers’ suggestion on having Jason Kidd and Lionel Hollins as lead assistants, Vogel has leaned on their expertise instead of becoming threatened they could take his seat. Instead of just rolling out the ball for his talented players, Vogel has also persuaded his players to buy in with defensive effort.
The result: The Lakers are off to their best start in over three decades. Even if more challenges await, the Lakers seem equipped on making episodes filled with production and little on drama.