USA Today via Reuters
May 25, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with teammates against the Phoenix Suns during the first half in game two of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
May 25, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with teammates against the Phoenix Suns during the first half in game two of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Lakers have been busy in the off-season, trying to build a squad that can challenge for the NBA championship once again. While they have lost some firepower, they have added some quality players to their roster for the 2021-22 NBA season.
The Lakers have added stars like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and triple-double king Russell Westbrook to their roster. With a fit and healthy duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are title contenders for the coming season.
USA Today via Reuters
May 9, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts after a dunk during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Despite the stellar additions, in the eyes of many, LA’s real season will begin after the 82 games are completed. Former Nets star Richard Jefferson feels the purple and gold will be judged on the ’16 games it takes to win a championship’.
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Richard Jefferson says Los Angeles Lakers will be judged on their post-season
In a recent episode of The Jump on ESPN, Richard has said that the Lakers will be ‘purely judged’ on their playoffs.
“No one cares about the 82 when it comes to Lakers. Truth be told, no one cares about the 82 when it comes to Brooklyn Nets.”
“They will be purely judged on their 16. The 16 that it takes to win a championship. If they don’t win, it’s a failure that’s part of Bron’s legacy. If they win, it’ll be okay.”
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The Lakers finished seventh in the Western Conference last season with a 42-30 record. However, they qualified for the playoffs after beating the Warriors in the play-in match. Unfortunately, they didn’t last long in the playoffs as they crashed out in the first round.
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Posting an excellent record in the regular season and finishing at the top of the conference rankings improves a team’s chances of winning the NBA championship. However, teams have won the championship despite not topping the conference rankings.
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So, it’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers perform in the coming season (and more importantly, the post-season) with so much firepower.
What do you make of Jefferson’s viewpoint?
