The Lakers are rolling with the National Basketball Association’s best win-loss slate, thanks to a November run in which they lost only once in 15 outings. Not coincidentally, that setback, courtesy of the surprisingly resilient Raptors, came three weeks ago, as good an indication as any that they learned — and managed to move on — from it, pronto. Their 17-2 record to date is a franchise best equaled or surpassed only twice before, and includes an ongoing 10-match win streak last seen when the purple and gold marched to a successful title defense in 2010. In other words, they’re playing extremely well, and certainly chasms apart from their immediate past performances.
That the Lakers will make the playoffs for the first time in seven years seems a foregone conclusion at this point, barring, of course, the forced sidelining of key players, and especially of their resident All-Stars. Certainly, the memory of last season’s roller-coaster ride is still fresh in the minds of pro hoops followers; after climbing to fourth in the West standings following a statement win against the powerhouse Warriors on Christmas Day, they suffered a swoon triggered by the first major injury in four-time Most Valuable Player LeBron James’ career.
For now, the Lakers are oozing with confidence. Offseason acquisition Anthony Davis is proving to be worth all the assets they gave up for him, partnering with James to make the best one-two punch in the league. They’ve been so good together, in fact, that their individual campaigns for accolades aren’t pulled down by the presence of the other. Not a few quarters have deemed one to be the frontrunner for Most Valuable Player and the other for Defensive Player of the Year. And while the exercise may be speculative at this point, a consideration of their accomplishments through the first fourth of the 2019–20 campaign does offer probative value.
True, adversity faces the Lakers after a relatively soft phase. Up next are meetings with highly regarded opposition, and eight of 10 on the road. Such notables as the Mavericks, Nuggets, Jazz, Blazers, Heat, Pacers, and Bucks are lying in wait. And because James, Davis, and Company are who they are, they would do well to prep for ultra-sharp and -prepped competition. They should be proud they already have the respect even without an accompanying body of work that impresses. At the same time, they cannot but be bent on showing they deserve it every time out.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
