Through this point of the 2023-24 NBA season, your 25-25 Los Angeles Lakers aren't exactly scaring anybody.
After a possibly charmed run all the way to the Western Conference Finals last spring and some solid offseason signings convinced most of us LA could be a top-four seed this year, the club has instead been surprisingly mediocre.
Perhaps most surprising of all, 30+ year-old LA stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James have been largely healthy this year, a welcome change from their more rotten injury luck since their first season together, in 2019-20, when they were also happily ailment-free.
Both Davis and James have put up their standard star counting stats, though James has looked more reticent than ever to defend anyone. To be fair, he's 39 and playing in his 21st season, so the fact that he's even this good is pretty astonishing.
Now, the Lakers' dynamic duo has been named to this year's All-Star game, and The Ringer's Bill Simmons has taken umbrage with the move.
Just catching up with All-Star noms. 2 Lakers and 0 Kings = absurd. Compare the 3-thru-12 Kings with 3-thru-12 Lakers… pretty even right? Sac is 27-19, LAL is 25-25. Come on.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) February 2, 2024
Also: Towns over Sabonis
BUT — I think this is ultimately great for Sac. CHIP ON THE SHOULDER TIME.
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