Record: 49-14
Championship Odds: +200
Key Players
LeBron James: 25.7 PPG, 7.9 REB, 10.6 AST, 1.2 STL
Anthony Davis: 26.7 PPG, 9.4 REB, 3.1 AST, 1.5 STL, 2.4 BLK
Kyle Kuzma: 12.5 PPG, 4.5 REB, 1.3 AST
Dwight Howard: 7.5 PPG, 7.4 REB, 0.7 AST, 1.2 BLK
Rajon Rondo: 7.1 PPG, 3.0 REB, 5.0 AST, 0.8 STL
Players Sitting Out
Avery Bradley: 8.6 PPG, 2.3 REB, 1.3 AST, 0.9 STL
Schedule
Day | Opponent | Time | TV |
7/30 | Los Angeles Clippers | 9:00 PM | TNT |
8/1 | Toronto Rapters | 8:30 PM | ESPN |
8/3 | Utah Jazz | 9:00 PM | ESPN |
8/5 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 6:30 PM | ESPN |
8/6 | Houston Rockets | 9:00 PM | TNT |
8/8 | Indiana Pacers | 6:00 PM | TNT |
8/10 | Denver Nuggets | 9:00 PM | TNT |
8/13 | Sacramento Kings | TBD | TBD |
Bubble Preview
The Los Angeles Lakers enter NBA bubble action as the heavy favorites to win it all. The Lakers currently sit atop the Western Conference Standings and with all their core pieces in place, they are primed to make a run to the finals.
At the age of 35, LeBron is still the best player in the league (or at least top 3) and shows no signs of slowing down. A great player like LeBron who gets compared to the widely respected “GOAT”, Michael Jordan, knows that you can’t miss out on an opportunity to get a ring. The Lakers are in as good a situation as they have been in many years and have the star power to bring home a title.
The Lakers are lead by a star studded tandem in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but in order to win the Finals this year they will need production from their entire roster. We know that “The Brow” and King James will put up incredible numbers as they have all season (see above), but this team has several players that can make it break this years finals run for the Lakers.
With Avery Bradley opting out of the bubble, Kyle Kuzma is expected to step up big for the Lakers and really become that third star that they have been looking to pair with LeBron and Davis. Also, new editions such as Dion Waiters and JR Smith will be expected to bring a scoring burst right away as we get started in bubble play. It is players like these that can give the Lakers the extra boost they need to get to the finals and win it.
My Bubble Prediction: The King wins his fourth ring.