OKC Thunder vs. LA Lakers, 2019-20 team preview
Many pundits predict the gold ball will end up in LA but will this Lakers squad be the one to hoist it and how will the OKC Thunder match up to them in 2019-20?
It took an extra offseason and plenty of drama but the Lakers got the superstar they earmarked for what felt like an eternity. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka tried various strategies but in the end, giving up the majority of their youngsters and draft picks was the elixir that moved Pelicans GM David Griffin to release Anthony Davis.
That brought the superstar total to two for the Lakers but they weren’t satisfied hoping they could lure the NBA Finals MVP to join them and create a Big 3. From the moment the Free Agent Moratorium began all eyes were on Kawhi Leonard as he held three specific teams (Lakers, Clippers, Raptors) hostage as they awaited his decision. In the end, a monster trade with the OKC Thunder which sent Paul George to the Clippers dashed the Lakers’ dreams of adding Leonard.
Once that decision was made Pelinka jumped into action bolstering the supplemental pieces who would surround the two superstars.
After six seasons of missing the playoffs, the goal of the Lakers isn’t just to land a berth but to hoist the gold ball when the final horn sounds.
Let’s examine how they plan to make this goal a reality.
The Basics:
2018-19 Record: 37-45
Lottery Seed: Landed the fourth seed in the lottery (which then went to the Pelicans as part of the Davis trade.
Head Coach: Frank Vogel starts his year behind the Lakers bench.
Points per game: Ranked 16th (111.8 ) | Opponent points per game: Ranked 21st (113.5)
Pace: Ranked 4th (103.2) | Offensive Rating: Ranked 24th (107.8) | Defensive Rating: Ranked 12th (109.5)
Vegas Odds:
Win-Loss: 51.5 games
Odds to NBA Title: +419
Odds to Win Conference: +260
* Odds courtesy of The Action Network.
The OKC Thunder won the regular-season series two games to one against the Lakers. Next up, let’s look at the offseason changes made by the Lakers and review what to expect when the team’s tipoff versus each other in their four contests.