5 Positives which the LA Lakers can take from disappointing 2020-21 NBA campaign
If the Los Angeles Lakers have a great team at the start of an NBA season and the franchise finishes the year without gracing the Larry O'Brien trophy, that year is most certainly a disappointment. Even though the LA Lakers remain the reigning NBA champions, it is only a matter of time before another squad takes that title from them, as their season finished in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
The stats suggest that the 2020-21 LA Lakers are the first championship-winning team to lose in the first round of the following year's NBA Playoffs since 2012. A major reason for this is LeBron James and Anthony Davis missing more than 25 games each in the regular season. This meant an early exit of the postseason was always on the cards.
5 Positives that the LA Lakers can take from their disappointing 2020-21 NBA season
Now, the 2020 NBA champions will need to regroup to come back hunting for the 2022 NBA championship. Despite a disappointing campaign, there were certain indications that there is a lot left in the LA Lakers' tank.
The team finished with the seventh-best record in the West at 42-30. Yet the LA Lakers were among the best teams before injuries sprang up in Frank Vogel's locker room.
In this article, we will look at five positives that the LA Lakers can take away from their difficult 2020-21 NBA campaign.
#5 Dominance against the Phoeninx Suns before AD's injury
Even though they entered the NBA Playoffs as the seventh seed in the Western Conference, the team looked good throughout the first three games of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.
The LA Lakers were good value for their 2-1 lead before Anthony Davis' injury ultimately put the team in huge trouble. They fell in the first game of the series on the road before coming back to win Game 2 at Phoenix and Game 3 at Staples Center. They contained the Suns quite well, holding them to 99, 102 and 95 points in the three games.
The LA Lakers looked like genuine contenders against the Phoenix Suns early in the series and that is a positive sign for the team heading into the 2021-22 season.
#4 Winning culture
A first-round exit is definitely a disappointment for the LA Lakers in any season, but there are a lot of positives to take away from their loss in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
One thing that will not change in the LA Lakers' franchise is the winning culture the it has. A season without a Championship title can make it easy to forget that the team was a force to be reckoned with when it won the NBA championship a year ago.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the team again, the championship window has not closed for the LA Lakers yet. It won't come as a surprise to many if they start the 2021-22 season with all guns blazing.