The suspension of the 2019-2020 NBA season hit the basketball community hard, particularly since it took place during the home stretch leading into the NBA playoffs. Many teams were just starting to ramp up their play in preparation for the postseason while others were making a final push for one of the last spots.
The Los Angeles Lakers fell into the former category, picking up massive wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and L.A. Clippers just before the plug got abruptly pulled on what had been a thrilling season.
It was terrible timing, but Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believes that there may be a silver lining for the NBA’s veteran teams. During an appearance on “The Mason and Ireland Show,” Morey explained how the Lakers and Rockets may benefit.
He specifically highlighted the experience and age on the rosters of the Lakers and Rockets, and noted time off could serve them well.
Morey is making the argument that the less-seasoned teams won’t be taking their training during the play stoppage as seriously, and thus the more mature veterans will come back with an edge. That’s certainly a possibility, though we should mention, as Morey did, that it’s all relative.
Every team is going to see their quality of play decrease thanks to lost chemistry, rhythm, momentum, etc. However, some might be able to minimize that downturn better than others, which hopefully will be the case for the Lakers.
Make no mistake, the NBA’s suspension has been and will be catastrophic, but it is possible that the Lakers emerge less scathed than some of the league’s younger squads.