Looking ahead to the Lakers after LeBron
Looking ahead to the Lakers after LeBronAnthony Davis adds another bag to his collection. What does it mean for the deep future of the Lakers?Good morning. We’re back! Hope your week was lovely. Let’s basketball. Still Life With Open Bible; Vincent Van Gogh; 1885 The biggest NBA news related to on-court matters in recent days is Anthony Davis’ new contract extension with the Lakers. As reported by Woj, Davis inked a 3-year maximum extension on the first day it was allowed. The extension itself is worth $186 million, and when you add that value to the existing deal Davis is on, it comes out to $270 million in compensation over the next five seasons. Five seasons is a very long commitment for both the team and Davis given where the Lakers are right now. The franchise was in the wilderness before LeBron James arrived in 2018, landed AD in 2019, had a single great season, returned to the wilderness for 2.5 seasons and then made a run at another title down the stretch of this past season. Unsurprisingly, there have been three features of the limited stretches in which the Lakers have been at a title level since LeBron and AD arrived:
Note that LeBron’s mere health spells good things for his performance. There have been times, however, when Davis has been healthy enough to play but has not made a star-level positive impact. You could attribute that to being banged up, or perhaps to being put in roles that strain his talents. But a consistent throughout AD’s career — going back to New Orleans as well — is that he is a top talent, but not a top talent that can solo carry a team to the top of the table. LeBron has been that for most of his career. AD has not. That’s what this contract extension news has me thinking about: life after LeBron for AD and the Lakers... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to Good Morning It's Basketball to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. A subscription gets you:
|
Older messages
Where the Brooklyn Nets have been, and where they could go
Friday, July 28, 2023
Looking at the symmetry of the two eras of the Brooklyn Nets and where they could find their next player to go with Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
Everyone wants a piece of the NBA, and the NBA wants a piece of everything
Monday, July 24, 2023
MJ sells out of the NBA, and the NBA might be buying into its leading media partner. Bad news.
The Suns choose money over having a single point guard in the rotation
Monday, July 17, 2023
Mat Ishbia's will to spend is not bottomless.
An affirmative (but not positive) case for Dillon Brooks in Houston
Sunday, July 16, 2023
How the deal makes sense for the Rockets, if you squint hard enough and have a strong stomach.
3 questions about the new NBA Cup
Monday, July 10, 2023
Stakes in November and December aren't easy. This might briefly do the trick. Maybe.
You Might Also Like
Karma is the guy on the…
Friday, September 6, 2024
Smile because it happened
Game of Inches (And Toes) 🏈
Friday, September 6, 2024
Chiefs Survive Week 1 via Toe Replay. Pegula's Slam. Morgan Retires. Ronaldo's 900th & More...
Podcast app setup
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Open this on your phone and click the button below: Add to podcast app
Podcast app setup
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Open this on your phone and click the button below: Add to podcast app
Special Edition: Touchdown call the amateurs
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Everything you need to know before the 2024–25 NFL season kicks off
The Kickoff Edition 🏈
Thursday, September 5, 2024
NFL 2024 Season Previews, Questions, Awards & Super Bowl Picks (+Cubs, Pegula & Clark) ...
The duality of the Zion-era Pelicans
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
A team that is the best in recent franchise history and yet appears to be not good enough to guarantee a playoff bid. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Are you not entertained?
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Merry NFL eve
Southside Slide & NFL Picks
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Are White Sox MLB's Worst Team? NFL Week 1 Picks. US Open Quarters. CFB AP Poll & More...
The Best of Week 1 🏈
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Best CFB Week 1 Highlights. Scheffler Wins FedExCup. Djokovic Upset. Gaudreau Bros & More...