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I don't want to consider Melo only, the Lakers team is one of the best squad they ever had. Lebron is a one-man show, he always has been. He can win games on his own. And Howard, Rondo, Melo all of these players are very good and experienced in their respected positions. Melo might have a better chance of winning the trophy with the lakers compared to any other team though, because the Lakers are looking like very commanding contenders of the title. Let's hope we have a great season up ahead.
The Lakers and all of these players are way old. I don't know if a team this old on average have ever won a championship. I would imagine the Lakers injury report will be longer than the available players list by mid season.
^ Yes, they are an old team compared to others but you have to see the old players they got. Lebron, Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony all of these players are beasts on the pitch. And add Anthony Davis to that and you have a banged squad. Lebron can one-handedly win any match. They also have a decent bench - which will be able to compensate for the old players' minutes. So yeah, the Lakers are my favourite for this season's titleholder.
And Howard, Rondo, Melo all of these players are very good and experienced in their respected positions.
These veterans won't contribute much or only used most in a few season games. Most of them will be like advisors. Back in 2019-20 season, Howard and Rondo only average around 20MPG with 69 and 48 games respectively. Their stats are also poor but can consider good because of being veteran.
Aside from Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers will surely utilized Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn. Ariza might received a good playing coming from the bench as he used to play on Lakers system already but this guy is now prone to injury. During his prime, he is known for his good defense but that's a part of history now.
^ Well, as the players get old, they lose some of their paces and in some extent-dribbling skills. But their gamesense, positioning, and overall awareness get better. So what I'm thinking is, if the matches are played with a mixture of the veterans and the young bloods, that could work well in favour of the Lakers. And Lebron is something else. He ages like fine wine. Just getting better everyday. He is also very close to breaking the record of all-time scoring of Kareen Abdul Jabbar.