LeBron James is a Laker
LeBron James is a freaking Laker. That’s going to take a lot of getting used to.
In 2009, I watched LeBron hit a game-winner in the ECF against the Magic on his home floor. The reaction from the crowd was unbelievable, as to be expected. As my dad and I walked to our hotel after the game, I saw that the excitement was not restricted to the walls within Quicken Loans Arena. As we passed a bar near the arena, I saw homeless people watching the game through windows of sports bars and high-fiving passersby. The people on the streets of downtown Cleveland hugged and rejoiced – there was a pulse to the city unlike anything I had ever seen in sports. LeBron James had the ability to change the tenor of an entire city.
That was just Cleveland run number one. Obviously, Miami and Cleveland round 2 have now come and gone. His legacy and impact have only multiplied. A man that felt bigger than the city he played in is now headed to a city that is notoriously filled with big names. LeBron’s quest to leave his mark on one of the NBA’s (and America’s) most historic franchise begins now. A lot may change in the near future, but let’s examine the state of LeBron’s Lakers.
The most important domino still to fall is the status of Kawhi Leonard. A hypothetical combination of James and Leonard is a title contender every single year, regardless of surrounding pieces. While this team may lack depth of star-power like the Warriors possess, two of the three best players in the league can trump the Warriors in a 7 game series. The question, however, is whether or not to try and trade for Leonard now as opposed to waiting for him to come as a free agent next summer. In my opinion, this is a no-brainer, GO GET KAWHI RIGHT NOW.
Some combination of Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, and a 1st Round Pick should be enough to get the deal done - the Spurs don’t have enough leverage in this situation to ask for much more. Ingram is obviously a great asset and has loads of potential. I don’t care. He will never be as good as Kawhi Leonard is right now. You make the deal happen at all costs, extend Kawhi, and begin the new era of Lakers basketball. That team is immediately the 3 seed in the West and has a chance at a title this season.
What if they don’t get Kawhi, though? What if the Lakers are comfortable keeping their assets and planning to sign Kawhi next summer? It’s very possible that it could work (and already be agreed upon) and the team would still have tons of money to spend next summer to sign another star. But, as currently constituted, the Lakers will be rolling out some combination of LeBron, Ingram, Kuzma, Ball, KCP, and Javale as their starting lineup with Lance and Josh Hart manning the bench. Julius Randle is still up in the air, as well as some late additions that will happen over the next couple weeks. I genuinely believe that that team is already better than last year’s Cavs.
This current roster has nowhere near the offensive potency that last year’s Cavs did, but I don’t think it matters. That Cavs team could not guard my men’s league team. The fact that they made the Finals is still baffling to me and is evidence that LeBron by himself is nearly enough to put you in title contention. Instead of an offense built upon 5-out shooting with LeBron as a primary ball-handler, this team is set up to have lots of movement and options under Luke Walton. Possibly the most important element is that they have tons of ball-handlers which will significantly shrink LeBron’s workload. This team should be able to defend, run, and move the ball in a way that makes them instantly more dangerous than the Cavs ever were. I would expect this team to probably finish as a 4 seed with the potential to make the Western Conference Finals. I truly think that with the right additions/coaching, this roster, led by LeBron, could beat the Rockets. With that said, they wouldn’t take the Warriors to more than 5.
As a lifelong LeBron defender, I’m rooting for his success in LA. It would be so damn cool to see him have success for the most-esteemed franchise in the league. If he wins a ring in that town, for that team, and takes out the Warriors and Celtics in the process…it would be one of the most incredible moments in league history (outside of the imminent moment where Oladipo dunks over Paul George as time expires to win game 7 and bring the Pacers their first NBA title). It’s only July 2nd, but I’m ready for NBA basketball.