Even before the NBA suspended the rest of the 2019-20 season due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, time was of the essence for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They had amassed a 49-14 record, the second-best in the league, but were doing so on the back of a 35-year-old superstar with almost unprecedented mileage.
According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, members of the Lakers front office felt from the start that this roster only had a two-year window to win an NBA championship.
“Long before the coronavirus outbreak, some within the Lakers organization had privately described this roster as having a two-year championship window, considering James’ age and the number of players whose contracts run through 2021,” Oram wrote.
It’s very unfortunate that the Lakers’ first real shot at a world championship in nearly a decade has ultimately run into a pandemic roadblock.
If the remainder of this season ultimately gets canceled, as some are fearing, the Purple and Gold would be entering the 2020-21 season with less of a margin for error.
James will turn 36 in December, and although he has played remarkably well this season, it’s hard to predict when and how he will decline due to age and mileage.
There’s also the matter of improving the roster. To compensate for James’ advancing age, the Lakers will likely need a talented guard who can handle the ball and create for himself and others.
Acquiring such a player won’t be easy, given the team’s lack of attractive players outside of James and Anthony Davis, plus their lack of future draft picks.
