The Lakers are one of the most surprising stories at the early part of the NBA season. At 7-2, the Purple and Gold are No. 2 in the West and only trail the reigning champion OKC Thunder by a single game. And they’ve managed to do this without LeBron James, who has yet to play due to his sciatica.
Advertisement
LA was also without Luka Doncic for five games, leaving it all on head coach J.J. Redick and Austin Reaves. who is currently in the midst of a breakout year. However, since The Don has come in he’s been a force to be reckoned with. He’s averaging 40 PPG and looks terrific after shedding a ton of weight this offseason. The Lakers are quite possibly for real. And Stephen A. Smith is drinking the Kool Aid.
The $100 million man was gushing about the Purple and Gold on the latest edition of his podcast. SAS started dropping Luka’s numbers, which have been so great that he believes the Slovenian sensation is already the top candidate for league MVP.
“He’s averaging 40! Luka Doncic. Skinny Luka Doncic. In shape Luka Doncic. He’s averaging 40. That Luka Doncic,” stated SAS. “Right now, if you were talking about a leading candidate for league MVP, albeit very early in the season, there is no denying that you’ve got to look at Luka Doncic and say, ‘Yo this dude is right there.'”
Stephen A. then mentioned how he believes Luka is the Lakers’ choice for being the face of their franchise. Of course, he made sure to let LeBron know that he wasn’t throwing jabs. “He’s clearly the new face of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. That’s not to throw any shade on LeBron or anybody else. It’s just that Luka’s that dude. He’s only 26 years of age.”
Smith’s not wrong. Doncic’s dominance over the early part of the season has not only been exciting to watch, but leaves you asking, ‘Who is going to stop him?’ But what role will LeBron have once he returns? According to SAS, a huge one. Despite their beef from a year ago, Stephen A. is convinced that LeBron’s greatness is the key ingredient for the Lakers to get back to the Finals.
“With Luka doing what he’s been doing, I would have to tell you believe it or not, even at age of 41 and his 23rd season on the NBA, the hopes of a championships for the Los Angeles Lakers appears to be riding on the shoulders of LeBron James.”
“We all know LeBron is good for 25 a game. And if LeBron can give you what he’s accustomed to given you, and Luka continues to do what Luka does, and you combine that with DeAndre Ayton and Austin Reaves giving you any level of production, and everybody else just plays their role, you can’t dismiss the Los Angeles Lakers.”
Those are some wise words. It’s still far too early in the year to be picking favorites. But what Smith is seeing should be what everybody else is seeing. LA’s got moxie. The elevated play of Reaves and Doncic on top of a great pick up in DeAndre Ayton has made them a powerhouse in a very competitive conference. Size won’t kill them in the postseason like it did last year against the Timberwolves.
That is of course if everyone stays healthy. It’s an arduous 82-game season and we saw in last year’s playoffs (and NBA Finals series) how quickly a team can collapse once their superstar player goes down. Until then, the LA Lakers are a team to keep an eye on, especially once The King returns to his throne.
