The Lakers’ hesitance to make a big trade this season has come about for a variety of reasons, some fairer than others. The most prominent one seems to be that the front office did not want to go all-in on a team they weren’t convinced could be a winner, hence the various deadlines and benchmark moments throughout the early stages of the season.
What that timespan allowed the Lakers to see, particularly in recent weeks, is that this team can compete and that’s largely because of how well Anthony Davis has played. This Lakers team was always going to rely heavily on LeBron James and AD and, after a rough start, the pair have stepped up to the challenge.