There is so much insane emotion surrounding Westbrook and the Lakers’ last season it made sense to objectively compare this season’s current and possible rosters with that of the 2019–20 bubble championship team.
Comparing the Lakers’ current roster with the bubble championship team’s roster is important to see how the current team stacks up against the best team the Lakers have had since James and Davis arrived in Los Angeles. Truthfully, there has been so much controversy over the Lakers’ roster decisions the past two seasons, everybody has forgotten that the 2019–20 bubble championship roster was simply LeBron, AD, and role players.
Frankly, the bubble championship team had many of the same strengths and weaknesses as the Lakers current roster, short on wings and 3-point shooting but long on exceptional athleticism and championship defense. Most importantly, however, this year’s Lakers roster will also have the big advantage of starting the season with a fully healthy and LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the first time in three years just like the bubble champs.
So Let’s compare the top-10 rotation players in the Lakers current roster as well as the same roster but after a potential trade with the Indiana Pacers and see how both stack up against the bubble championship roster.
Current 2022–23 Roster vs. Bubble Championship Roster
Not unsurprisingly, when you ignore the insane emotion surrounding Russell Westbrook and last season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ current roster stacks up very well against their 2019–20 bubble championship team.
Unspoken is the reality this season should be LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ best opportunity to win their second NBA championship because they’ll both be fully injury free and well rested just like in the bubble.
Missing the playoffs is the best thing that could have happened for the Lakers last season as it gave both of their superstars desperately needed time to recover and rest like the Covid shutdown did before the bubble.
Like every Lakers roster, a healthy and well rested James and Davis is the key to the Lakers’ championship hopes. Whether the Lakers go with what they have or make a trade to upgrade, it comes down to LeBron and AD.
The key to winning again for the Lakers is not necessarily having a third star but having multiple role players who not only can step up when needed but also complement and help James and Davis become better.
That’s why the Lakers need to trade Russ. Aside from the risk that he could implode and destroy team chemistry, the Lakers simply need the shooting and size they would get by trading him for multiple rotation players.
Topping the Lakers’ options should be trading Russ and a pick and a swap or 2 picks to the Pacers for Turner and Hield, followed by upgrading the forwards who backup superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
While the current Los Angeles Lakers’ roster could win a championship if James and Davis repeat their bubble performances, the competition this season will demand even more than when they won in the bubble.
Post-Trade 2022–23 roster vs. Bubble Championship Roster
The only reason the Lakers haven’t sent Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks to the Pacers for Turner and Hield is they’re hoping to be able to wait and see if Kyrie Irving or another superstar hits the market.
Once Rob Pelinka decides that’s not going to happen or the Lakers start to struggle or Russ becomes in issue, expect the Lakers to make a quick decision to trade with Indy rather than allowing the team to fall behind. While giving up two unprotected picks is a high price, the Pacers trade gives the Lakers a chance to compete right now and to build a post-LeBron James Lakers’ team that can legitimately contend in 2027 and 2029 too.
It will be a tribute to Darvin Ham if he can really get Westbrook to be a positive factor long enough for the Lakers to have an opportunity to optimize what they can get in return for their two unprotected picks.
Should Rob Pelinka be able to pull off a trade for Irving or a trade for Turner and Hield that only cost a pick and a swap, it would be a coup for Lakers’ beleaguered VP of Basketball Operations and General Manager.
The thing that makes Myles Turner the perfect fit as the Lakers’ starting center is how he could be the key more than any other player on the Lakers to unlocking the greatness of Anthony Davis and his post LeBron upside. There is no bigger decision confronting the Lakers this season than can Davis take the baton from James. After the bubble, everybody expected that was what would happen but injuries and James’ durability said ‘not yet.’
The one thing that’s clear, though, is the Pacers’ trade would provide desperately needed size and shooting and elevate the Los Angeles Lakers from a projected 34-win team to a legitimate championship contender.
How Long Can Lakers Wait Before Trading Westbrook?
Pelinka has played hard ball on two picks so far, offering them only for superstar players like Kyrie Irving or Donovan Mitchell. While they covet Turner and Hield, they don’t believe that they should give up both picks.
Right now, the Lakers are likely to plow ahead with Westbrook getting a chance to start and fit. Unless the indecisive Pacers finally decide to tank instead of hover at mediocrity, the Lakers plan to play this out step by step. Meanwhile, the Lakers will try to deploy an updated version of the double big strategy that won them a championship in the bubble with an eye on how things are going for Kyrie in Brooklyn and Turner and Hield in Indy.
Hopefully, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will dominate and the Lakers will win enough, Russ will fit in, and Darvin will have them playing tough defense and buying time for options to clear and positions to improve. December 15, when most recently signed players can be traded, marks one third of the season. Unless the Lakers are doing very well, they’d be two thirds of the way through the season by the February 9 trade deadline.
There’s the fear Russ implodes, things blow up in Brooklyn or a new suitor emerges in Indiana. The Lakers need to remember very day spent waiting for Kyrie is a day they should have spent integrating Turner and Hield. Regardless of how well the team is playing with Westbrook, the Lakers need to understand that Turner and Hield will not only make them dramatically better but need as much of the season together as possible.
The Westbrook for Turner and Hield trade upgrades the Lakers 2022–23 roster to be better than the bubble championship roster and a legitimate contender this season and this decade, including in 2027 and 2029.
LeBron and AD are as rested and healthy as starting the bubble. They should be able to carry this team if it plays great defense. This roster at its best could be as good as bubble championship team.
They looked great!
You just can’t help yourself, can you? You have to put a fake trade into the majority of an article that, in title, suggests some sort of objective comparison but in reality is just a fake out into just another dream scenario that’s months away, at best. If ever.
Hilarious.
You actually don’t even compare the rosters! You mention that they’re similar, which they’re not really, and then quickly switch gears into “gotta trade Russ now!” mode all while just a couple posts down you say it’s tie to start rooting for Russ. Who knows what to believe?
But I do know, I know you may not actively be rooting against the team but I am fairly certain you’re hoping they lose because, in your mind, that equates to a quicker deal for Russ happening when there is absolutely no guarantee it will go down like that.
Didn’t bother to read after you went into fake trade comparison because why bother? I’ve read this three times or more now.
I did read this part and though it odd:
“Unspoken is the reality this season should be LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ best opportunity to win their second NBA championship because they’ll both be fully injury free and well rested just like in the bubble.
Missing the playoffs is the best thing that could have happened for the Lakers last season as it gave both of their superstars desperately needed time to recover and rest like the Covid shutdown did before the bubble.”
Uhm…no. You are conveniently skipping right past the 82 game season that leads up to the playoffs. There’s a member of that Laker season you should be comparing things to but I didn’t see it. It’s #3. As in the actual three months between when the season paused and resumed allowing all of our older vets, and AD, to heal up. The three months that allowed Frank to go over film and see how to better deploy his defense with the guys on the roster. For LeBron to hyperbolic himself back to healthy. Those three months are gone forever and there will never be a break like that again. Comparing that team to any other isn’t worth the time because the circumstances are, and will be, entirely unique.
If anything this is an exact repeat of last season, just with younger (for the most part) role-players. AD came into last season “in the best shape of his career!” LeBron said he felt good, and that gave way quickly. So here’s hoping for health.
I’ll be happy to compare what one player brings versus two…should that trade happen. But I’m done with fake trades and wishing well scenarios until January or a trade happens. There’s a real team playing tonight and I’m all in on that.
You’re ignoring the reality that this team has the same strengths and weaknesses as the bubble team. Healthy and rested LeBron and AD plus role players. If Ham can control Russ’ impact and James and Davis play well, they’re better than a 38-win team.
Lakers need shooting and size. Add Turner and Hield and they can compete for a championship. Still need more wings to back up LeBron and AD but the Pacers trade is still the move the Lakers will make. Team’s greatest weakness right now is the center position.
How can I ignore something you barely wrote about? So, for the sake of this post, let us actually look at the two rosters and, for but a moment, ignore that the playoffs happened after a three month break in game action lol.
(the following from basketball-reference.com)
2019-20 Lakers:
PGs: Rajon Rondo, Quinn Cook, Alex Caruso and LeBron James
SG: KCP, Avery Bradley, Troy Daniels, Dion Waiters, J.R. Smith, THT, Zach Norvell and Danny Green
SF: (none listed but a lot of the SGs played there all season long and it was LeBron’s defensive position, as well)
PF: Kostas Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, Jared Dudley, Markieff Morris, and Anthony Davis
C: JaVight McHoward, er, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard and Davontae Cacock
Only 2022-23 Laker lineup worth talking about to date:
PG: Dennis Schroder, Scotty Pippen Jr (TW), Kendrick Nunn, Patrick Beverley, and Russell Westbrook
SG: Dwayne Bacon, Austin Reaves, and Lonnie Walker IV
SF: Matt Ryan, Troy Brown Jr, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Cole Swider, and LeBron James
PF: Wenyan Gabriel and Anthony Davis
C: Jay Huff, Thomas Bryant, and Damian Jones
G (neither shooting or point…thanks basketball-reference): Max Christie and Javante mcCoy
On first look the biggest difference is experience, or lack thereof, when talking about this season’s roster. KCP, Green, Rondo and Morris were all vets who could contribute (unlike last season) and were relied on in the playoffs to left a heavy load. This season? There’s PatBev and…Nunn? Schroder? Nobody jumps out. Nor is there a savvy vet, like Jared Dudley, who can technically play but ought not who can lean into a guy on the sideline and perk him up, straighten him out, etc. Jeannie didn’t like paying for that role.
The second is how average we are height-wise. All our “SGs” in 2019-20 were larger than average and could easily slot in at the three. This was also the great year of LeBron James Point Guard which worked so well we ditched after winning a title playing that way. Why? Who f@#$ing knows, Rob over-reacts to winning pretty terribly. But having James play point to start and finish let Frank use other guys at the three, like Green, who knew how to defend at that size. KCP, did a lot of that as well.
Then there’s the defensive acumen of the 2019-20 roster. Jones ain’t Howard, Bryant ain’t McGee and Markieff Morris ain’t coming back through the door after a three month break. The center position on this team is a huge question mark, don’t bother bringing up a trade that hasn’t happened. You can’t compare reality and then bring in the “oh but wait about this fantasy!!!” because that’s just absurd. Might as well compare eating an apple to a Saturnian Hyper Grape.
Lastly there’s the massive talent disparity. 2019-20 had multiple All NBA, DPOY, MVP and playoff tested players. This roster does not. In fact, of the entire roster, the Trio is about it outside PatBev. This is a roster of hype and hope. 2019-20 was an incredible assemblage of talent, experience and grit. One was built for winning, the other just to get by. I’ll let you guess which one I think is which.
Still, this ignores the absolutely true reality that the 2019-20 team got three months off and didn’t have to travel at all during the playoffs. I will never say the COVID banner wasn’t an honest one. It was as much a mental challenge as anything ever. But it was unique in the same way the lockout banner was. Neither will be exactly replicated ever again but especially not the COVID one. There will never again be a three month layoff between the regular season and the playoffs and to gloss over that and equate it to the regular old summer break shitty teams get is absurd.
Team’s greatest weakness right now is Rob Pelinka.
Yeah, but why are so many thinking that the Clipps will be great. Uh, KL or PG ever hurt? LOL!
They’re deep, talented, and have chemistry from winning without their star players. We do not.
I do need my memory jogged from time to time. LOL! I totally forgot how far the Clipps during last year’s Playoffs? My bad, ha, ha.
Me too dude, me too
The point you keep missing is a healthy and rested James and Davis is the championship formula for these Lakers, just like it was in the bubble. All we really had in the bubble was a bunch of role players who cared, played d, and played hard. We lacked wing size and 3-point shooting but still prevailed.
I do believe this roster could be a winning team but at some point I think Russ would drag us down again. Regardless, I will be rooting for him to have a good game tonight. I want Lakers to win. Russ plays well, maybe the Pacers decide a pick and a swap are all they’re going to get. At any rate, the trade will come.
I’m not missing the point at all. You’re equating them playing well in this regular season to the bubble playoffs. Come this season’s playoffs you won’t be getting a rested LBJ or AD, at best they’ll be healthy. If we get into the playoffs, of course. Feel free to ignore the expertise, skill and talent of the “bunch of role-players” we had in 2019-20 and equate them to this current team. We definitely got, for the most part, younger. We did not get better. One trade will not equate to KCP, Kuzma, Caruso, Morris and Green. Turner and Heild ain’t anywhere near that good.
For the life of me I don’t get why people see the word “role-player” and think it means some guy who just does one thing. it’s absurd. The difference between Danny Green and Troy Brown Jr. is light years. Same goes for Wenyan Gabriel and Kyle Kuzma. Caruso and Reaves. And so on. Some of those guys any team would want when their back is against the wall or it’s time to elevate the overall play of the team. Some of those guys are just taking up space on a bench. My hope is Reaves can prove this season he belongs in the first group. Same goes for TBjr. They aren’t anywhere near that level as of today.