Former NBA Coach Explains Why Lakers Will Remain Title Contenders If They Stay Healthy

Published 05/10/2021, 7:30 AM EDT

The Los Angeles Lakers are going through a rough phase this season with injuries hitting their primary players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While many believe that the former champions won’t be able to make it this time, Knicks’ former coach David Fizdale showed confidence in the Lakers’ success.

The LA team is pulling on their last strings in order to reserve a spot in the playoffs, or else a play-in tournament will act as decisive.

Currently holding the seventh seed in the West, Frank Vogel’s injury-laden bunch is struggling in the absence of Bron.

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LeBron James hasn’t played for more than 20 games in this regular season, and his probability of joining back seems bleak at the moment. Meanwhile, AD made a comeback a few matches ago, which puts them in a slightly better position.

This season has been particularly interesting for a few other teams such as Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers. The question is, had it not been for injuries, could the Lakers still pave their way to the top?

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Fizdale believes healthy LeBron and Davis will bring ‘trouble’

In a recent ‘Sirius XM NBA Radio’ conversation, David Fizdale opened up about why the Lakers still stand as a threat to their opponents. Fizdale believes that the championship is still not too far from the purple-gold team.

“Those two guys [LeBron and AD] are so unique with their size and their skillset,” Fizdale said about the Los Angeles Lakers.

"The playoffs come down to matchups"
🔊 Former NBA Head Coach David Fizdale explains why the Lakers are still a threat to win an NBA Championship if they're healthy #LakeShow
Catch Lakers-Suns RIGHT NOW on NBA Radio! Listen: https://t.co/AYipQpeyBw pic.twitter.com/JsaLZFlICr
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 10, 2021

“The playoffs come down to matchups. And if you can continuously put a team in a situation where you have the best matchup on the floor every night. You have a guy you can’t switch over to every night and they can switch over to you. You’re probably in trouble. The Lakers with those two guys probably have the toughest matchups for any team in the league other than Brooklyn,” he added.

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Lakers need a playoff plan after an injury-plagued season

The likes of Andre Drummond and Marc Gasol are pushing through the league. But the All-star duo still stands as the major factor in the Lakers’ possible championship tale.

If the 2020 champions wish to defend their title, Bron-AD’s presence will be key to their matchups. Time is slipping out for the Western bigs, and they need a plan of action for the upcoming playoffs.

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Written by:

Pavni Ahuja is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Housing a keen interest in sports journalism, she is pursuing an undergraduate Journalism degree from Christ University. Pavni is an ardent fan of the NBA, with prior district-level playing experience in basketball.

Former NBA Coach Explains Why Lakers Will Remain Title Contenders If They Stay Healthy

Fizdale believes healthy LeBron and Davis will bring ‘trouble’

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