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Winning an NBA championship is seldom because of only one or two players in a team. In this regard, 2019-20 NBA champions LA Lakers were no exception.
The presence of one or two superstars may be be a recipe for success in a few cases, but as Shaquille O'Neal often says on TNT, the 'others' (read 'role players') are often needed to land a championship.
The 2019-20 LA Lakers' run to their 17th NBA title in franchise history was largely a show led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but there were many other contributors in the franchise's historic achievement.
5 players other than LeBron James and Anthony Davis who played a key role in the LA Lakers' 2019-20 NBA title triumph
In this article, we will take a look at five players other than LeBron James and Anthony Davis who played a significant role in the LA Lakers' latest NBA triumph.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who were beasts during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, ranked second and first respectively in total points scored during the postseason. Both were in the top five in several other categories as well, but there were a few other players in Frank Vogel's roster who also rose to the occasion. Let us take a look at five of them.
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#5 Danny Green
LA Lakers' Danny Green has often been referred to as one of the weak players in the team, but coach Vogel never paid heed to that perception as he kept the player in the starting lineup throughout the season.
Green had a less convincing campaign to the one he had with the Toronto Raptors last season as he saw his three-point percentage drop from 45 to 37 this year. Nevertheless, in the regular season as well as in the NBA Playoffs, Green ranked third among LA Lakers players in various stat categories, just behind the two monsters leading the team.
In the 2020 NBA Finals, Green was second in defensive ratings for the LA Lakers behind Davis, but he will probably be remembered for missing the title-winning shot in Game 5 from an unmarked position after LeBron James had passed the ball to him with a few seconds left on the clock.
However, in Game 6, Green redeemed himself by scoring three of his seven threes to help the LA Lakers beat the Miami Heat comfortably as he became an NBA champion with three different teams.
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#4 Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard may be just a role player for the LA Lakers, but he was able to show why he will be a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame after his career is over. In the Western Conference Finals, Howard was instrumental in getting into Nikola Jokic's mind and forced the player to commit fouls in many games in that series.
Howard even earned a spot in the LA Lakers' starting lineup seven times during the NBA Playoffs (including five of the six games in the NBA Finals). His rim protection remains as good as it was during his best years in which he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times.
Howard's offensive rating in the 2020 NBA Playoffs was even better than LeBron James', and the player was in the top five in points scored per 100 possessions among all LA Lakers players.
#3 Alex Caruso
Alex Caruso may not be the most flashy or skilled player in the LA Lakers' roster, but he is definitely a solid NBA player whose effort and competitiveness is elite. Caruso played a tremendous role in the LA Lakers' 2019-20 championship run.
In the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Caruso played in each of the 21 games played by the LA Lakers, averaging well over 20 minutes per game, and he also started in the title-clinching Game 6 of the Finals.
He averaged seven points and three assists per game, but his hustle plays were ones that happened when it really mattered. Caruso seemed to always find the right play at the right time during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, which was huge in the eventual scheme of things for the LA Lakers.
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#2 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was expected to be a 3-and-D guy for the LA Lakers during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, a role he eventually performed with consistency. Even though his points per game average during the regular season was his lowest since his rookie season, he stepped up his game during the Playoffs.
Caldwell-Pope averaged ten points per game during the 2020 NBA Playoffs while shooting 38% from the three-point line. He was the team's third-best scorer after LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
During the 2020 NBA Finals, KCP averaged 12.8 points per game. Even though he made 30% of his threes against the Miami Heat, he scored a few timely shots and had the LA Lakers' fourth-highest offensive rating in the NBA Finals.
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#1 Rajon Rondo
Once an opponent of LeBron James, Rajon Rondo was a key component of the LA Lakers' attack.
After winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo became only the second player to win a title with the two biggest franchises in NBA history, the other one being Clyde Lovellette (1954 with the LA Lakers, 1963 and 1964 with the Boston Celtics).
Rondo did not start a game for the LA Lakers in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, but his presence in the court was always noticeable. He was his usual NBA Playoffs self, assisting and creating plays for his teammates, but what was even more impressive was his shooting, something that has often been perceived as his weakness.
During the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Rondo (40%) was second for the LA Lakers in three-point percentage among players from the team who made at least three shots from three.
He was superb during the NBA Playoffs and had some solid games where he commanded the team from the point guard position alongside LeBron James. He averaged nine points, seven assists and four rebounds per game.
In Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals, Rondo scored 19 points on 8-11 shooting and 3-4 from three as the LA Lakers clinched the title.
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Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Taking a look at the LA Lakers roster and options available to the management ahead of a busy off-season.
Guess the Lakers players!
