It’s been about a month since the Los Angeles Lakers got massive wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, which was a fantastic sign of how ready the team was for a 2020 NBA playoff run.
Unfortunately, not long after, things fell apart and the season had to be suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), leaving plenty of uncertainty about if and when the league will be able to return.
On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane is joined by Gary Sheffield Jr. and Chris ‘The Masterpiece’ Masters to discuss the current status of the season, including what both Danny Green and Jared Dudley think about the possibility of a comeback.
While it would be great to get the league back in action, there has been some pessimism as time has gone on. For example, one thing that perhaps isn’t considered enough is how long it will take players to get themselves back into playing shape after taking what could be months off from the game.
While some players may have basketball courts in their homes so they can at least do a few drills, that isn’t true of many of them. That’s limited their workouts to weights and whatever cardio activities they can do in a confined space. Even those with access to a court will need time to get re-adjusted to playing in full-speed games. Regardless of what home workout program they are following, there is simply no substitute for actual games.
Still, Green continues to be optimistic the NBA will get back at some point and the recent news that the MLB is looking to begin their season as soon as May (albeit with some outside-the-box thinking in order to make it as safe as possible), perhaps the NBA won’t be far behind.
Additionally, they discuss Kobe Bryant’s selection into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and what it means for his incredible career. As sad as it will be that Bryant is no longer with fans to enjoy the day, it will still be an event to celebrate and one fitting a player of his stature. Who should give his induction speech?
Finally, they play a fun game where they pretend they can travel back in time and grab any Lakers role player from that past and add them to this year’s team.