The Los Angeles Lakers are 5-5 to start the 2021-2022 NBA season. LeBron James has missed 4 games so far due to injuries to his ankle and an abdominal strain. The Lakers also are without Trevor Ariza, Kendrick Nunn, and Talen Horton-Tucker. Russell Westbrook clearly needs more time to find his rhythm with a new team. Anthony Davis sprained his thumb and left the Portland game with a stomach illness.
The Lakers are off to a tough start but there are some positive things that they need to build on. Carmelo Anthony has been everything the Lakers wanted. Anthony is averaging 16.5 ppg and 49% from the 3 off the bench. THT should be back in a few weeks along with Kendrick Nunn. Nunn and THT give the Lakers more ball handlers and creators when James and Westbrook are not on the floor. Trevor Ariza will give the Lakers a defensive wing and another reliable shooter.
LeBron James is starting to face his toughest challenge since coming back down 3-1 against the Warriors in 2016. James is in his 19th season and injuries are starting to come with regularity. James will be 37 in December and we have never seen a player be this dominant in year 19. The Lakers cannot win consistently without James in the lineup. James’s leadership in the locker room and on the floor is unmatched.
Can the Lakers figure it out and become a championship team in the near future? Time will tell if the Lakers can become dominant soon but they have to get healthy as soon as possible.
The Lakers have a 5 game home stand coming up so we’ll see what they’re made of in the next week.
Featured Image: NBA.com
