Many people weren’t sure what to expect from the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but so far they have been one of the best teams in the NBA at 13-4. And that’s despite LeBron James missing the first 14 games and several other key players dealing with injuries as well.
A big reason for that has been the play of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who have been the best backcourt in the NBA so far.
Another reason though has been the Lakers’ depth as they have been able to manage regardless of who is in and out of the lineup. The team improved that depth this past offseason when they signed Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.
So far, all three have been exceptional at playing their roles, and James is among those taking notice, via the “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash:
“Listen, we could sit here and talk about how unbelievable Luka and AR have been so far. It has not surprised me. Those guys are just super, ultra talented. What they bring to the game, we already know. But what I love is what DA and Jake and Marcus have brought to the team. Another level of toughness, another level of playmaking. The other night, Marcus having seven steals in a game, DA been dominant on the glass and being very efficient offensively and also before last night I think he was top 10 in defensive percentages contested at the rim. And Jake, who is number 12 is what they were saying I think in the Minnesota game, the crowd was like who is number 12 and Ant was like I don’t know. Guys know him now. I’m just proud of what the team has been doing and being able to watch from a far. It’s great, I think we have something really good going. It’s a long season obviously, we want to continue to play good basketball. That’s most important. But I like the pieces that we added.”
It’s no secret that the Lakers needed a center this past offseason, but what exactly they would be getting from Ayton was unclear. He has not only played well on the court, but has also been a joy off it, which is a stark contrast to his last two teams.
Meanwhile, Smart has been able to stay healthy and has provided the Lakers with the defensive toughness and leadership that they were missing. LaRavia has helped in that regard as well, serving as a Swiss Army knife that could fill any role needed depending on who is in the lineup.
There is obviously still a lot of season left, but Rob Pelinka appears to have hit on all three of his offseason signings and James is appreciative of that.
LeBron James focused on helping Lakers win
Since LeBron James returned to the Lakers lineup, he has been fitting in to what they were already doing and recently expressed that he is just focused on helping the team win regardless of what role he plays.
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