'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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.
#3 Rest for the LA Lakers' stars
One of the positives from the LA Lakers' early exit from the NBA Playoffs is that LeBron James and Anthony Davis will have plenty of time to recover between now and the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
At age 36 and entering his 19th NBA season, James can definitely make good use of the time he will have to get his body and mind in the right place for a better campaign next year. James is coming off playing 45 of the 72 regular-season games last year, plus six postseason games. All of this after getting just 71 days off between the 2020 NBA Finals and Opening Night of the 2020-21 season.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis seemed to struggle all year with injuries and the recovery time could be even more essential for him. Davis played half of the regular season and desperately needs to reach full fitness before the 2021-22 season for the LA Lakers to be title contenders again.
#2 Frank Vogel's defensive system
Even though LeBron James and Anthony Davis missed 27 and 36 games of the regular season respectively, the 2020-21 LA Lakers finished first in the NBA in Defensive Rating, with 107.1 points allowed per 100 possessions.
The team battled defensively and competed every night, even with its two stars out due to injuries.
That effectiveness on the defensive end is a testament to Frank Vogel's coaching capabilities. He previously displayed his defensive acumen with the Indiana Pacers as well. Vogel's Pacers side always ranked in the Top 10 in Defensive Rating between 2011 and 2016.
The 2020-21 LA Lakers evidently struggled on offense without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But the defensive end was solid throughout the entire season and was arguably the reason why the team managed to collect some victories without its superstars.
#1 LeBron James' pre-injury form
While Anthony Davis did not look quite fit during the early days of the 2020-21 NBA season, LeBron James was performing at a tremendous level from Opening Night until he suffered a high ankle sprain on March 20th against the Atlanta Hawks.
Prior to the injury, James averaged 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game with a 51/37/70 shooting split in 41 appearances. He was arguably the NBA MVP frontrunner at the time, and the LA Lakers also had a 28-13 record.
Though there might be some debate about LeBron James not being the same from the past after his injury, the LA Lakers had a 112.4 Offensive Rating with James on the court, and an excellent 103.2 Defensive Rating.
With enough time ahead of him to fully recover, James will hope to return to his pre-injury form and lead the LA Lakers to championship contention once again.
Also read: 5 Players with the most All-NBA selections in league history
Guess the Lakers players!
