[ad_1]
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony entered the NBA two strokes apart in the 2003 Draft, and in the two decades since that night they have become good friends and won two medals. Olympic gold together. Now, finally, they will be teammates in the NBA.
Earlier this month, Anthony signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. It was part of a big summer for the team as they traded for Russell Westbrook and added a number of veteran free agents. While there’s no denying their top talent, there have been questions about the age of the Lakers roster. In his introductory press conference on Monday, Anthony brushed off those concerns. By ESPN:
“We don’t care,” said Anthony. “We don’t care. We make our own story.
“I like when people talk about age. It makes for a better story. I think it gives a better story. I think people forget that at the end of the day it’s about basketball. You’ve got to know how to play basketball. You’ve got to have that experience. I think that’s what we’re bringing to this stage and that time. Our talent, our skills, but also our experience. “
Anthony, 37, will be the oldest player on the team, closely followed by LeBron, Trevor Ariza, Jared Dudley and Marc Gasol, who are all 36, and Dwight Howard, who is 35. Westbrook, on the other hand he is now 32 and the average Lakers roster age is 31.8. They are by far the oldest formation in the league, beating Utah Jazz (second oldest at 28.9) by more than two years.
LeBron has spent a lot of time on the sidelines in two of the past three seasons and played 45 career games in 2021. Gasol, one of their few real big guys, was limited to 52 games last season, and we don’t know how much he left in the tank. Westbrook spent much of last season playing in a ripped quad and hasn’t hit the 70-game mark since returning to Oklahoma City. And even Anthony Davis, the youngest member of the Big Three and still in his prime at 28, hasn’t been able to stay healthy consistently. He only played 36 games last season and missed the end of their playoff streak.
Considering the ages and injury histories of some of the most important players, it’s certainly fair to have questions on this list. Can they stay healthy for an entire 82-game season, then four playoff rounds? It is certainly possible, and you can understand Anthony and the players’ point of view. Obviously, they’re not going to care. But for fans and analysts thinking about what might happen next season, this is something that needs to be taken into account.
[ad_2]
Source link