The Los Angeles Lakers have had an excellent start to the season despite dealing with injuries to key players. Most notably, LeBron James hasn’t played a game yet as he continues to recover from a back injury. Luka Doncic has also missed four games with a leg contusion and a sprained finger. Incredibly, they’re still 7-3.
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That’s part of why former Laker great Michael Cooper believes they have real championship potential this season. The team has managed to stay competitive even without its two best scoring options at times.
It makes you wonder how good the Lakers could be when James and Doncic are back on the floor together, with Austin Reaves — who is also firing on all cylinders — as their third option. Cooper noted that as long as they stay healthy, they have a solid shot at lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
“I think the Lakers are going to win. I think they can win it until they can’t,” Cooper told VLADTV. “Obviously, any injury is important to any team. If you can get there with 90% of your team intact… You have an opportunity to win it.”
That said, the Showtime Lakers’ star’s analysis came with a catch.
“They’re going to have to shore up their defense after watching this last game, but that’s another story,” Cooper added.
In their last game, the Lakers gave up 122 points to the Atlanta Hawks, who were without their star Trae Young, in a losing effort. It was an embarrassing defensive performance. The Lakers were blitzed in the first half, 68-54, and couldn’t recover.
Later in the interview, Cooper was asked about James and whether he thinks age will play a factor in his ability to contend for a title. He didn’t sound too concerned.
“I think he’s going to have enough juice to get them there,” Cooper stated. “If he can get them to the Finals, they can win it.”
It remains to be seen. Back issues are never easy to deal with, especially for a 40-year-old. But LeBron is a freak of nature, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him come back without missing a beat.
Additionally, with Doncic now on the Lakers, LeBron doesn’t have to be the primary option on offense anymore. Cooper made sure to point this out by the end of his interview, adding that if they’re losing by 10 to 12 points now, that gap can be made up by LeBron’s production once he returns.
All in all, these are good things to keep in mind. The Lakers will definitely be a threat in the playoffs if they can stay healthy. But at the same time, the OKC Thunder are still a juggernaut, and until someone in the West can topple them, it’s hard to deny that they are the favorites to win it all.
