Playing buy or sell with 2019-20 NBA preseason trends
The Lakers are going to make it look easy
The Los Angeles Lakers have improved depth and 3-point shooting, but their season rests entirely in the hands of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Luckily, the chemistry between those two has been immediate, and the early returns have been very encouraging.
The Golden State Warriors aren’t the same team they were last year, obviously, but the Lakers have throttled them three times now, with a fourth possibly coming on Friday. In just 18 minutes apiece for L.A.’s star duo in their debut together, the King and the Brow combined for 37 points on 14-of-26 shooting, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
In their most recent outing, a 33-point shellacking, they combined for 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 19 assists and 14 boards. They lost two games in China to the Brooklyn Nets, but they only played 12 minutes in one of the losses. Their pick-and-roll chemistry has been undeniable, with AD’s passing ability on the short roll standing out in particular.
With that being said, racking up double-digit wins on a Warriors team that’s a shell of its former self doesn’t mean much. LeBron and Davis will continue to build chemistry when they start logging substantial minutes together, but there will be an adjustment process — for them, their supporting cast and head coach Frank Vogel in finding the right rotations.
The Lakers have made it look easy when their dynamic duo has played. Rest assured, in a loaded Western Conference, it won’t look this easy when the games start mattering.