“LeBron James is Not Gonna Win the Championship”: NBA Analyst Disregards Los Angeles Lakers as the Favorites
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 06: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to Avery Bradley #11 after an injury during a 113-103 Laker win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center on March 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers had a poor season last year, as they didn’t even make the playoffs. In the 2019 off-season, they made one of the biggest moves. After shipping away their young core team of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart, along with some other picks to New Orleans, they acquired a defensive monster in Anthony Davis. With the elite duo of Davis and LeBron James, the Lakers have been in the title-favorite conversation since the start of the season.
But last week, their title hopes were dealt with a big blow. Avery Bradley announced that he would be not participating in the NBA return due to personal reasons. He was one of their best defensive players and also one of the best 3&D players in the league. This loss, according to Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, is one of the reasons why the Lakers will not win the title this year.
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Can the Los Angeles Lakers win the title without Avery Bradley?
No one doubts Bradley’s contribution to the Lakers. But the way Cowherd talked, it felt like Bradley was part of a Big 3 with Davis and James. He said, “LeBron is not gonna win the championship. Is everybody forgetting that Avery Bradley is their third-best defensive player and that he would have been on the floor in the final minutes of these playoff games.”
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He then said that this will increase the burden for LeBron, one he cannot take on. “So now what it comes down to is more on LeBron’s shoulders. We’ve seen that happen six times in the NBA finals, and he’s lost each one.”
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Without a doubt, Bradley’s loss is a huge blow. But will it stop the team from winning the title? Maybe not.
They have good replacements in Alex Caruso and the newly signed J. R Smith. Caruso has been a quality role player, but often his ability gets overlooked because of the internet jokes about him. He has not only been a solid bucket getter but also an effective defender. He may not be as good as Bradley yet, but he can get there.
In the rankings for the lowest eFG% allowed as the nearest defender (among guards with minimum 300 FGA), Bradley is first with 45.9%. But close to him is his potential replacement, Caruso, with 48%
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A lineup of Caruso, Danny Green, LeBron, Davis, and McGee makes a team still to be feared. Any team with LeBron and Davis will be one to watch out for.
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