For the Los Angeles Lakers, the 2019-20 NBA season has been nothing but a success so far as they have settled in atop the Western Conference and shown how dominant they can be.
In their most recent win against the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers were able to stay ahead in the scoring department by knocking down 19 of their 38 attempts from the three-point line and shooting 50 percent overall from the field.
LeBron James recorded his 10th triple-double of the season (27 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) and moved closer to passing Kobe Bryant on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The win came on the heels of a back-to-back set, keeping the team’s perfect record intact. Anthony Davis discussed after the game how the the Lakers have managed to be so successful in those scenarios, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“It’s just been the mentality. Coach kind of reminds us… he told us tonight that we were 12-0 in back-to-backs, but we just try not to fall into the trap of being tired or anything of that nature, not having fresh legs. Everybody plays back-to-backs. Guys been in this league for a long time to know how it feels, so I think it makes us lock in more knowing that we probably could be tired on back-to-backs but we just try to fight through it and come up with wins.”
What has been one of the more surprising developments for the Lakers this season has been their effort level on a night-to-night basis as most veteran-laden teams would pace themselves and pick and choose when to turn it on. However, Davis and the rest of the roster have been full-throttle in nearly every game they have played and clearly look to be more forceful in back-to-back situations.
The expectation prior to the season was that the purple and gold would need to gel and build chemistry but they have accelerated that process to staggering degrees. They already look like a well-oiled machined on both ends of the floor and have exerted their dominance on several occasions, proving they are one of the few teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the 2020 NBA Finals.
The team’s level of focus and attention to detail is a sign of one on a mission and they are putting the league on notice with their play. Their modest two-game winning streak will be put to the test when they play the Philadelphia 76ers next.
