The Los Angeles Lakers have gotten off to one of the best starts in franchise history during the 2019-20 NBA season.
Behind the unstoppable duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, the team is undefeated away from Staples Center and is tied for the best record in the NBA.
Having a better road record than home record is not something that happens often and is certainly a surprise for this Lakers team. Most teams dominate at home and are more susceptible to bad performances on the road, but the Lakers have been the opposite.
It is what makes the run for this team so impressive and not something they planned on as Davis spoke on. In an interview with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Davis admitted the team’s goal coming into the season was simply to be a .500 team on the road:
“Our goal was to, coming into the season, have a great home record and be .500 on the road,” Davis said. “In order to win a championship, you have to win on the road, which is tough to do.”
This may seem like Davis and the Lakers were selling themselves short, but being anything more than slightly above .500 on the road is not something that comes easy. Last season, only the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Toronto Raptors were more than three games above .500 on the road.
So far this season, only the Lakers, Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks have accomplished that level of success on the road. Meanwhile, NBA Finals contenders such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers are below .500 away from home.
Before their recent road trip, the Lakers had come under a bit of scrutiny for a less than stellar schedule to start the season, but one thing that can’t be talked about enough is their play on the road. It’s easy for a team to lose focus or come out flat away from home, but Davis and James have simply not allowed that to happen.