Back in March 2020, the Lakers gave the NBA a preview of a championship to come by dominating the Bucks and Clippers in a Friday night, Sunday afternoon double-header. They’re poised to do that again this March.
I have the same gut feeling about this coming weekend against the Raptors and Knicks as I had before the weekend back in March 2020 when Lakers faced season-defining back-to-back games against the Bucks and Clippers.
The situations are eerily similar. The Lakers are being disrespected despite playing extremely well. They have challenging games coming up Friday night and Sunday afternoon and the team is sky-high with confidence.
Since the trade deadline, Anthony Davis has been playing like an MVP and the Lakers were #1 in team defensive rating, #1 in team rebounding, #2 in team free throws, #4 in opponent free throws, and #3 in opponent 3PA.
Numbers wise, since the trade deadline, the Lakers have won 7 of last 10, 6 of last 8, 3 of last 4, and last 2 games. 3 of the last 4 wins were without James and Russell and 1 win was without James, Russell, and Davis.
Now in the #9 spot in the West standings, the Lakers have given the rest of the league a glimpse of their possible future led by two-way superstar Anthony Davis, the league’s #1 defense, and a deep and diverse roster.
The Lakers are now at the top of the ladder of losing teams and just 2 wins from .500 and grabbing the bottom rung on the ladder of winning teams. They’re playing at home and should finally get D’Angelo Russell back.
The Friday night game against the Raptors should be the easer game just like the Bucks were in March 2020. The Sunday afternoon game against the Knicks, like the Clippers’ game, will be the Lakers’ biggest challenge.
Right now, the Los Angeles Lakers are 1-point underdogs against the visiting Toronto Raptors on Friday night and will likely be even bigger underdogs against the resurgent New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon.
The Raptors lost to the Clippers last night so have now lost 2 in a row but are still 6–4 in their last 10 games and much improved after trading for Jakob Poeltl at the deadline. The Lakers should beat them by 15 points.
The Knicks will be the challenge that should bring the best out of the Lakers. They just had their 9-game winning streak broken at home by the Hornets so they still have won 9 of their last 10. Lakers by 10 over Knicks.
Get ready for a big Lakers weekend. With Russell returning and Davis playing like MVP, Lakers are going to come out and play two near perfect statement games to end the weekend at 34–34 on 4-game win streak.
Friday, March 6, 2020 – Lakers beat Bucks 113-103 at Staples
Sunday, March 8, 2020 – Lakers beat Clippers 112-103 at Staples
Friday, March 10, 2023 – Lakers beat Raptors by 15 at Crypto
Sunday, March 12, 2023 – Lakers beat Knicks by 10 at Crypto
After this weekend, everybody will start taking the Lakers seriously.
I find it hard to make a lot of comparisons to the year that COVID affected, I will forever see that title as the most mentally unique and difficult while also being the least physically taxing. It created a false sense of hope that AD could carry a team in the same manner LeBron, Kobe and Magic have shown they could.
The issue is both the three month break and the lack of travel during the playoffs. Those factors are never gonna happen again and since that season AD has yet to play 60 games in and has missed the playoffs, along with the rest of the Lakers, two years running.
We remember (kinda) those games because of the title that came after, not because they were defining regular season games. That Lakers team also had the best record in the western conference at the time which stood up after we won the first Bubble game and promptly rested LeBron and AD, again.
This team is vastly different in composition, experience and chemistry. I would choose the Bubble roster over the current one every time. This current team has way more to prove, and work to do in the standings to reach the heights the 2019-2020 Lakers had passed at this point weeks prior.
I’ll say this though, this iteration of the Lakers HAS to treat every game like its a game 7 to win a ring from here on out. Anything less will result in the waffling and mediocrity that has largely defined the Lakers all season long.
…as the nost?????? Huh? the most?
You do know you can edit your posts?
I did. Don’t bother reading them if it bothers you.
SMH. What, you too good to correct your mistakes?
The mistake is in thinking these two games will define anything at all. Honestly, since when did we care about regular season wins around here?
Also it sucks to post from a phone. 😉
During the game, I was shouting out “Bubble Champs!” whenever AD made a play.
Even though it’s a title, and every team in the bubble tried their best to win that title, it’s treated as a slur against the team.
Never understood that slur. Probably the cleanest championship ever won given that the circumstances were the same for all teams.
And what people forget – the Lakers lost out the most because they had home court.
Very important that this team learn how to win games where the situation is not perfect.
Last game, AD had 7 turnovers, but the Lakers still found a way defensively to eke out a win.
While true I don’t think the lack of any travel at all, especially during the actual NBA Finals, can be overstated enough. No cross country flights, no vindictative hotel staff trying to low key poison you with a bad burger and straight to treatment on ailments post game.
Anyhow, I do agree that we need learn how to win when the chips are down. That was one of the hallmarks of that 2019-20 squad. They didn’t win going away a lot but they did win. Usually because of defense and enough scoring to win.
Not sure how beating a sub .500 team on the cusp of missing the play-in is some kinda earth-shattering statement but…..ok
I didn’t know we were celebrating getting to .500 lol
Still a ways to go to get to .500
But doesn’t that feel like the bar for this team now? That’s what I’m not really going to get behind. “yay! we’re pretty average…” Not when you’re paying LeBron and AD the money you are.
I can even understand folks defending LeBron or AD because it’s not their fault they’re hurt. While that may or may not be true it is someone’s fault to invest this and next season in them, possibly beyond.
Every game with AD comes with an asterisk and two boxes to check off: he made it without getting hurt AND he played with intensity. For a lot of guys those boxes a re checked as a default setting. Not Davis.