Philippines, 01 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Can LeBron bring the Lakers back to greatness?


PhilBoxing.com




No less than the general managers of member clubs picked Los Angeles? Lebron James to stash away with the coming NBA season?s MVP award.

They, however, were unanimous in selecting, not the Lakers, but back-to-back champions Golden State Warriors to romp off with their first triple-peat, basing their selection on the -195 odds by the La Vegas-based odds maker Bovada.

Despite the acquisition of James this summer, Bovada ranked the Lakers, from the world?s entrainment capital of Hollywood, third to make it to the Finals with a +1000 chance to crown themselves the 2019 NBA champions behind Boston?s +500 and Houston?s +850.

While the three-straight title conquest, indeed, looks inevitable, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and company will have to play the season out and hope to avoid serious injuries or prove the DeMarcus Cousins experiment ineffective.

Or Durant and Klay Thompson?s impending free agency decisions distract the team just enough to allow a hungrier team to catch them by surprise.

The Lakers' chances begin and end with LeBron, who undoubtedly, is the best player on the planet and, that alone, is enough to gain contender status. What happens in the middle journey would however, be pure speculation none knows at this point their current roster is going to resemble six months from now.

Maybe a superstar unexpectedly comes available and the team swings a mid-season blockbuster. No one knows how the Lakers are going to play. Will they play to their perceived strengths and emphasize defense and transition or will they adopt the slower style of play typically associated with LeBron-led teams?

James himself had expressed uncertainty that this is only the first year of a four-year partnership. And that?s too early to speculate on what will happen. ?We?ve got a long way to go to get to Golden State,? he said when asked about how his new team stacked up against the two-time defending champion Warriors. LeBron, of course, was trying to temper peoples? expectations for his first year with a young team, the same thing he did when he returned to Cleveland in 2014.

Everybody knows what James is capable of. Everybody knows, too, that he needs company for the Lakers to contend for the Finals. Like Dwayne Wade at Miami or Kyle Irving at Cleveland. New Orleans? Anthony Davis could be it at Los Angeles. Remember Davis raised more than a few eyebrows when he decided to switch representation this summer and sign with the agency closely associated with James and the Lakers.

For a guy who won?t be a free agent for another two years, that move surprised many. Was that a mere coincidence or planned on forcing a trade to the Lakers? Davis to LA is, definitely, a possibility. Even if the Lakers had to trade Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma.

James, of course, needs to perform an MVP-type of performance in regular season for his new team to fashion out around 55-60 games to secure more favorable early round playoff opponents. Ingram and at least one of the Lonzo Ball-Kyle Kuzma-John Hart trio would need to make significant improvements and be ready to make major contributions in tougher playoff games.

The team?s defense should also rank amongst the league?s best. With their overall void in three-point shooting, the Lakers can?t beat the Rockets or Warriors in a series by outscoring them, they?re going to have to grind-out victories with defense, rebounding and tempo.

The chemistry experiment of bringing-in Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley has to turn into positive effect. And, most important of all, the Lakers would need a 2018 Playoff-LeBron performance during the postseason.

If the Lakers succeed doing all these, they should be able to beat any team in the NBA in a seven-game series?except a full-strength Warriors team though.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • MARIO BARRIOS LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • CATTERALL AND EUBANK LAY THEIR 'CARDS ON THE TABLE' AHEAD OF MANCHESTER SHOWDOWN
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Dumadag holds chess tourney
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Manny Pacquiao's Case for the Greatest of All Time
    By Ace Freeman, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • DavNor Adventure Race 2025 set July 2
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Gumila rules Antipolo rapid chess tilt
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • FULL CIRCLE AT WILD CARD: Jhay Otamias’ Tribute to a Fighter and a Fanbase
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Wins by 4th Round KO Over Sarawut Thawornkham to Capture the IBF Pan Pacific Super Flyweight Title
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Team USA's Quest for Gold Set in Stone at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • SBA SEASON 2 DRAFT UNVEILS RISING STARS AND STRATEGIC MOVES AS TEAMS COMPLETE THEIR ROSTERS
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Filipino Elwin Retanal wins Saudi rapid chess meet
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Jake Paul Earns Boxing Legitimacy with Dominant Decision Over Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Zurdo Ramirez Defends Cruiserweight Crowns with Unanimous Decision Over Dorticos
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Faces Sarawut Thawornkham Today at Venue 88 in Gensan
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • USA Elite High Performance Team Sets Sights on Gold at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri bags silver in blitz
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chavez Jr: Can Julio Derail Jake Paul?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Dr. KO: Christian Mbilli Stops Maciej Sulecki in 1
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • GOLDEN BOY SIGNS UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT AMARI JONES
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is a Go: All Fighters Make Weight in Anaheim Ahead of High-Stakes Bout
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • IIEE Chessmasters Overall Champion in the International Bundesliga with GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Kittipong of Thailand Battles Bhavesh of India in Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Bangkok
    By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Weights from Philadelphia
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri and John Jerish Velarde struck gold and bronze
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Would OKC Still Win the West If Dallas Had Not Traded Doncic?
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.