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Lorenzo Bottini: Like all rich people, they too became rich during this pandemic. The additions of Dennis Schroeder and Montrezl Harrell and above all, in my opinion, those of Wes Matthews and Marc Gasol guarantee LeBron James and Anthony Davis an impressive quintet with which to end the games, both to get ahead when the two phenomena will take their Naps. And the Lakers have prepared to survive in the minutes when LeBron won’t be there to create halfway through, one of the starting team’s few weaknesses in the bubble. The tandem of the top two sixth men of the 2019-20 season will pick up the majority of those possessions, in the hopes that Schroeder can emulate Lou Williams and that Harrell is not the one seen in Orlando. Marc Gasol will run the top post, fixing the secondary game like he did when he arrived in Toronto two seasons ago.
But pulling the blanket may have revealed the defensive phase, one of the best views last season and a real force in the title race. A defense that relies on the presence of a long Davis flank and versatile wings capable of directing opponents’ attacks toward midfield in a kind of elastic and physical matchmaking zone, and will suffer the loss of both Dwight Howard and from Danny. Green, the second Lakers in over / under in the last playoffs. But Caruso, Matthews, KCP, Markieff Morris, recently rehired Kuzma and emerging Talen Horton-Tucker should ensure flexibility on the wing to maximize the lineups around LeBron and Anthony Davis. Because in the end those with the best players on the field always start with the favors of prediction.
Dario Vismara: My impression is that this version of the Lakers is better equipped to deal with the regular season than last, especially from an offensive point of view. The question is whether they have lost too much defensively to end up paying the price, especially due to coach Vogel’s scheme who tends to send a lot “inside” the area (and if Anthony Davis is not there, I’m not sure if this is Gasol is enough to protect the iron). The holy fire that animated them last year may have faded a bit, and the fact that both Schroeder and Harrell have to find a contract in the summer could create some chemical rift, which was the real secret of the last season.
I remain convinced that the Clippers have a higher roster than most in terms of talent, and if they can sell Williams and Beverley they could also fix those locker room problems they paid for with interest in the bubble. Serge Ibaka had one of the best seasons of his career last year in Toronto and adds spaces that with Harrell were not imaginable: if Tyronn Lue keeps them all together, for me the number 1 rivals are still them. That said, Kevin Durant looked like this see, and it can only change the balance of the league.
Marco D’Ottavi: I think the Lakers’ victory seemed clearer than the differences on the field and that the “advantage” with which they start is not that great. So you have to understand if the titles are won with the chemistry of the team or with the sum of the parts. Because it is evident that this roster is stronger than the previous one, which nevertheless had -as they say in these cases- pressed. On the other hand, it seems to me that the credit was mainly LeBron’s positive leadership, Davis’s predisposition and also Vogel’s ability to hit the right spots. The three stayed and for the Lakers it is the most important thing.
