Is The Lakers’ Title Window Closed?
After failing to advance past the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs, with an aging LeBron James and an injury-prone Anthony Davis, do the Lakers have what it takes to make another run at a title in the coming seasons? (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
To say that the 2020-2021 season was a disappointment for the Los Angeles Lakers would be a massive understatement. Last season’s champs finished 42-30, claiming the seventh seed in a loaded Western Conference and landing in the play-in tournament. They were riddled with injuries throughout the season, limping their way into the playoffs before being eliminated in six games by the Phoenix Suns. After such a lackluster season, the question arises: has the title window closed on the Lakers after claiming just one championship?
There are a few factors that immediately pop into my head when I consider this question. First of all, although still considered one of the top-3 players on the planet, LeBron James is only getting older. Entering the 2021-2022 season, King James will be 36 years old, turning 37 in December. Despite being durable for most of his career, LeBron missed an extended amount of time during the shortened 2019-2020 season with a groin injury and missed extended time this season with a high ankle sprain. I’m not claiming that he’s injury-prone, but what I am saying is that even freak accidents may be a little more serious for LeBron compared to other players when considering his age. Father Time is undefeated, and despite his greatness, LeBron is no exception to this rule.
Speaking of injuries, Anthony Davis. That’s it. That’s the sentence.
Okay, I’ll go into a little more detail here. Davis went down with a calf injury in mid-February, causing him to play only 36 games out of the 72 games this season. After Davis was seemingly starting to find his groove towards the end of the regular season, he went down in the playoffs with a groin injury. Those are just the latest in a career chock-full of injuries for the eight-time All-Star. Remember, the Lakers signed The Brow to a five-year, $190 million contract in December of 2020, but if he can’t stay on the floor, that could spell disaster and the end of the Lakers’ title hopes.
For the Lakers to stay in contention in the coming seasons, they will need to ensure both LeBron and A.D. stay healthy throughout the year.
For the Lakers to stay in contention in the coming seasons, they will need to ensure both LeBron and A.D. stay healthy throughout the year. (via Getty Images)
If neither LeBron nor A.D. can stay healthy, then the Lakers are going to be in a world of trouble. They have already had struggles solidifying a solid, consistent rotation around their two superstars, especially with the large amount of the Lakers’ salary cap that’s being taken up by LeBron and AD’s contracts. The front office will have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, especially when you consider the sheer number of unrestricted free agents that were on the Lakers’ roster this past season. Those players include Alex Caruso, Markieff Morris, Dennis Schroder, and others. In other words, the Lakers will have limited cap space with the potential of needing a lot of pieces to fill the void of departing free agents (if they don’t re-sign, of course).
The Lakers have some glaring holes in their game that will need fixing when they revamp their roster for next season. Most of those holes relate to their poor ability to shoot the three-pointer last season. At the close of the 2020-2021 season, the Lakers finished 24th in three-pointers attempted and 25th in three-pointers made. They’ll also need to improve on their efficiency from the charity stripe, as they finished 28th in free throw percentage.
Taken together, the question remains: has the title window already slammed shut for the Lakers? They have glaring needs on the offensive side of the ball, and many of their key role players could choose to take their talents elsewhere next season. This, in combination with the risks associated with LeBron’s age and Davis’ health, could lead one to answer that question in the affirmative.
However, in this author’s humble opinion (for whatever it’s worth) is that the Lakers still have a chance to compete for the championship in the coming years. LeBron has shown that he is still able to play at a very high level, and when he and A.D. were on the floor together, the Lakers were one of the best teams in the NBA on both sides of the ball. Furthermore, I believe that several key role players who are unrestricted free agents will return to Los Angeles to make another run at a ring (Schroder, for example). But, what do I know?
