Adaptability, Brotherhood and the Benefits of Being Gargantuas: The 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers
An afterword on a year filled with challenges, a championship and the constant that was the Lakers' endurance.
Welcome to issue #18 of Throwdowns.
I hope all of you are well, safe and have successfully fought off the last spells of the hangover you surely experienced the morning after the confetti dropped by now.
It’s been awhile since the last one of these and obviously a lot has happened. So, what follows is my best attempt in encapsulating the momentous year that was Lakers’ basketball.
Thank you so very much for following along and sharing it with me.
Back in May — of 2019, when the world was still like it used to be and before everything was set to change, the Lakers held a press conference to introduce Frank Vogel as their new head coach.
Vogel, in a suit and wearing what would be Los Angeles’ first glimpse at his trademark smile, sat in front of the media and next to the man who hired him after the team’s coaching search widely went public and awry.
That man was Rob Pelinka, whom became both the figurehead and spokesperson of the organization after Magic Johnson’s now infamous resignation (Johnson would also go on to appear on ESPN the exact morning of Vogel’s introduction and make more headlines).
Pelinka fielded questions ranging from the validity of the front office turmoil, other head coaching candidates and potential roster moves that had yet to transpire.
When it was his turn to speak and answer queries from the attendees, Vogel oozed readiness and confidence. He did not shy away from what was an impossibly awkward experience, instead he somehow — thrived.
Preaching on multiple occasions the importance of “togetherness” in a time the organization had displayed nothing of the sort, Vogel’s words and the fashion in which he maneuvered the minefield that was his first public test, foreshadowed the same approach his team would soon take on in a year like no other.
Time is abstract. It could drag, fleet and when you’re least expecting it, storm right up and smack you in the face. Sports can be like that too.
Players get old, championship windows close, the youthful exuberance of a new prospect can jolt us. Teams can also do this. Collections of memorable individuals can give us something to root for, invest in and cherish.
This season’s Lakers proved to be just that when the city and their fanbase needed them the most.
In order to best encapsulate what made this team special outside of just their end result, is to first attempt to define what made them unique within a franchise rich with winners and history.
Nathaniel S. Butler - Getty Images | Throwdowns Illustration
This year’s squad shares the usual trademarks of other champions in the past. They had star power twofold in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They had the role players who did just enough while also outperforming initial expectations. And they had the aforementioned coaching and support staff to keep them on the right path.
But boiling it down to just checks in boxes feels lazy. Especially given they possibly singlehandedly reshaped the current calculus of the sport behind their incredible duo and blueprint.
The Lakers’ stars proved not only to be just that, but consistently shined brighter than any other spark in the league’s ever growing celestial galaxy.
A symbiotic, devastating duo on-and-off the court like the NBA has not seen in recent memory.
The aging, but still mighty cyborg embarking on possibly one of his last treks across the basketball landscape. The unicorn, just entering his prime, hungry and primed to take his place at the head of the table.
James and Davis proved to be the perfect teammates at a time of both of their careers where their union could benefit them the most. The roster around them not only was crafted in their vision, but helped bring it to fruition and reign terror over their opposition.
In an era built upon 3’s and small ball, the Lakers instead chose to kick the door open with their giant feet.
The offseason to-do list saw the team deliberately push in their chips and invest in full-time centers with JaVale McGee, DeMarcus Cousins and eventually Dwight Howard even after trading for Davis. Blocking out the sun in the process.
Their guards and wings also slotted in bigger than their average counterparts, or at the very least played like it. Even their rookie Talen Horton-Tucker sports abnormal measurements.
On a nightly basis, this group leveraged their physical and athletic advantages, bulldozing over a league still fresh off of downsizing after the evolution process that came with the latest analytical trend.
Their literal size and thrust was only matched by their effort and level of cohesion on the floor.
This combination of physical and mental dominance resulted in one of the most suffocating defenses in the league and culminated with the franchise’s best defRTG in eight seasons.
Like gifting Godzilla the ability to transform into a sports car, the Lakers similarly proved time after time their means to adapt. This was most notably made apparent in the postseason.
In each series, Vogel and the coaching staff showcased the team’s versatility. Whether it was concocting a stifling defensive gameplan for one of the cavalcade of scorers they faced, or shifting in one center for the other or not playing one at all at the drop of a dime, the team proved ready for any challenge ahead of them.
These challenges unfortunately also presented themselves off the floor. From their experience in China, to the passing of Kobe and Gigi Bryant and most recently the events that followed the current pandemic, this team was forced to forge on in unison. With composure, and strength.
Models for their fans who shared similar heartache and distress, they provided distraction, words of wisdom and an example that hard work and resilience can result in great things.
There hasn’t been much to be happy about this year. Not many bright spots, things to genuinely be excited about or look forward to.
The Lakers were one of those few exceptions for many individuals however. And while it’s bittersweet that our time with this exact group of individuals is likely over, they will forever be remembered as the team who faced the unthinkable and made it out the other side as champions on and off the hardwood.
Sports can be viewed as a trusted calendar. One that we track seasons by, plan events around and a constant that we can always turn to. That was warped this year, snatched away. Which is trivial given what has happened in the world, but also a reminder that things likely will never be the same. At least for awhile.
But when it does reappear again like a childhood friend you lost touch with, it will represent the memory of what we all experienced and endured. What we missed.
That’s what I will remember most about the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers. Not the dunks, blocks or even the trophy.
But the way they gave us that comfort back. How they made us feel like things will ultimately turn out alright if we just stick together.