“LA Lakers might not win the 2021 title”: Magic Johnson raises injury concerns about LeBron James, Anthony Davis and co

Magic Johnson says that the Lakers will most likely not win a title without LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to increased competition. 

After having claimed their 17th title in franchise history, the Los Angeles Lakers have been brought back down to Earth by a string of misfortunate events. Everything from LeBron James and Anthony Davis’s injuries to offseason acquisitions such as Montrezl Harrell and Marc Gasol not playing up to the mark that was expected of them. 

With the Lakers now having to survive in the loaded West without they’re two best players for at least 3 weeks to a month, teams in the top 6 are looking to capitalize on this opportunity to raise up the standings. There could even be a slight possibility of the purple and gold slipping into the play-in tournament, as highlighted by Kevin O’Connor and Chris Vernon. 

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With Stephen A. Smith getting suspicious about the length and duration of Anthony Davis’s injury, Magic Johnson provides his thoughts on how the Lakers fare against the rest of the league, with and without their superstars. 

Magic Johnson says the NBA has more competitive teams to challenge the Lakers. 

Laker legend recently joined Max Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith on First Take to break down the flaws the roster possesses when not having Anthony Davis on the floor. He also acknowledged the presence of juggernauts teams around the league that could rival LA in their quest for a repeat. 

“The Lakers have competition this year that they didn’t have last year. When healthy, it’s going to be tough beating the Lakers 4 times in a 7-game series. However, without Anthony Davis locking down the middle, it will get tough for the Lakers” 

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The Lakers most definitely have a more competitive Playoffs to look forward to this year, when compared to last year. Out West, teams like the Blazers and Mavs are better than last year, while the Suns, Jazz, and of course, Clippers, will definitely not go away in 5 or 6 games. 

Magic also brought the upcoming trade deadline that the Lakers have been rumored to be very active in. Guys like Andre Drummond have been linked to LA for a while, and getting Drummond would definitely help the Lakers while AD makes his way back onto the court. Look to see the Lakers go after a big-man to bang downlow or a sharpshooter to take over KCP’s role.