Two Lakers Storylines To Keep an Eye on in the Second Half

After having a tough first half of the season, the Lakers look to bounce back and get ready for the playoffs in the second half of the season.

Finishing with the fifth-best record in the league at the All-Star break sounds like a success for the Lakers, especially after everything.

From Davis’ injury to LeBron’s dominance, here are two storylines to keep an eye on as the Lakers enter the second half of the 2020-2021 regular season.

Can LeBron Win His Fifth MVP?

You can argue that LeBron James was the clear favorite for this season’s MVP before Davis’ injury. But after Anthony Davis went down, the Lakers had some bad losses and posted a 3-6 record until the All-Star break. That didn’t help LeBron’s case, plus the fact that players like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have had amazing seasons.

For LeBron, getting his fifth MVP would mean a lot, and playing the most games will help him in his case. This means we should expect James to play in almost all of the games in the second half, if not every. In addition to that, his defense has been exceptional so far and can be the decisive factor in a tight vote.

How Healthy Are the Stars?

Anthony Davis is due to return from his Achilles injury after re-aggravating his injury against Denver on February 14. Now, Laker fans must wonder, how healthy is he? And how will the Lakers plan to use him this second half?

The Lakers know that the primary goal is to get Davis healthy for the playoffs. So his availability is a question, and the Lakers expect to be conservative on it. So with Davis’ return and availability on doubt, how will the team approach LeBron? James already said that it’s gone time for him, meaning that he plans to play at an even higher level than the first half and rest in no games. Let’s see if he can accomplish that.