The 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers are in a win-now mode, loaded with celebrated veterans.
Two of the top 10 scorers in NBA history–LeBron James (3rd) and Carmelo Anthony (10th)–are on the team. They will join forces with an array of NBA All-Stars, including Anthony Davis (8x All-Star), Russell Westbrook (9x All-Star), Dwight Howard (8x All-Star), Rajon Rondo (4x All-Star), Marc Gasol (3x All-Star), and DeAndre Jordan (1x All-Star). It’s a talent-rich roster with future Hall of Famers set to play
While that’s a lot to get excited about, also comes a challenge. Ten of the team’s 14 listed players are 32 years of age or older, including newly acquired DeAndre Jordan. The roster at 31.5 years old on average is the NBA’s oldest.
Even though the roster includes young guns Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, and Talen Horton-Tucker, age will be a concern as the 82-game + playoff schedule unfolds. Will experience–and know-how about how to handle NBA rigors–prevail? That’s the big question, and it’s the risk-reward issue around which this roster has been shaped.
It won’t be enough to make the playoffs–not with LeBron and company involved. Making the Finals and nabbing another NBA championship is the goal. And the clock is ticking, literally, on this squad. While “Now or Never” may seem to be a harsh way of putting it, it seems to be the reality for the ’21-22 Lakers–a deep, talented, experienced, and aging roster.
