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The Los Angeles Lakers have two of the most talented players in the NBA on their roster with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It should go without saying, but that has played a big role in the success they’ve enjoyed this season.
However, even the most talented teams have needed time to figure things out — just think back to The Heatles, or this year’s Clippers team. So why does it seem like the Lakers clicked on the court almost immediately? One word: chemistry.
All season, we’ve heard all about how well this team has gotten along in spite of the fact that there are only six returning players from last year’s roster, in addition to an entirely new coaching staff. In a recent interview with the Tania Ganguli and Broderick Tuner of the Los Angeles Times, Derek Fisher — the former co-captain of the Lakers’ 2009 and 2010 championship teams — explained why he thinks they’ve avoided the usual growing pains a title contender goes through, and compared them to the Lakers teams he was on:
The Lakers were on their way this season, however, when James was given another star in Anthony Davis, the two were surrounded by seasoned veterans and the group rose to be among the NBA’s elite.
“They care about the big picture,” Fisher said. “They care about being one of those great Lakers teams. … I just feel like the Lakers group is very closely connected and that’s what our groups were.”
Coincidentally, the Lakers are off to their best start since 2009, when they beat the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. With the talent and camaraderie in the Lakers’ locker room this season, there’s no reason to believe they can’t end their season the same way.
And by “they,” I mean everyone but Dwight Howard — obviously Howard wants to end the season differently than he ended it in 2009.
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