shortened season would not hurt Lakers as much as competitors

The Lakers wouldn’t like a shortened season, but @sabreenajm doesn’t think it would hurt them as much as their competitors: https://t.co/9YXtM5Os2I pic.twitter.com/kVbdeIOXn4

— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) October 27, 2020

There are other potential benefits to a compact season. Teams with continuity tend to perform better during the regular season, though that’s partly because good teams make fewer changes year-to-year. Even so, the advantages of continuity would theoretically be heightened when there is a shorter preseason and less time to practice throughout the year. The Lakers will probably bring back their full pre-bubble starting lineup and at least two other key rotation players. So while other teams adjust to new coaches and new teammates, the Lakers can basically run back what was successful in 2019-20. It might even be prudent to do that, given the time constraints of trying to integrate new players.

This season could also be an opportunity for James to pass the torch on to Davis. When Davis arrived from New Orleans, James said that his goal was to make Davis MVP, but the offensive load James had to assume given the team’s roster construction made that impossible. If, however, James is limited in the regular season by the shortened schedule, it could make Davis the No. 1 option on the team by default. At some point, that transition would have to happen — even if James seems like an ageless cyborg — and the special circumstances of this season could expedite that process. There’s a certain magic when NBA players turn 27, and that’s how old Davis is now.

The Lakers probably wouldn’t enjoy returning to play so soon after the physically and emotionally demanding experience of finishing the season in the bubble; Green admitted as much. A team this old, relatively speaking, needs its rest, and the Lakers will get the least of any team except for Miami due to their Finals run. Even if players start off on a high with the motivation of defending their title, that energy will dissipate, and the regular season could be a slog.

But the beauty of starting a season so soon that it essentially feels like an extension of the prior one is that the Lakers did really good work last year, and that will carry over. Usually, momentum fades away during the offseason after winning a title. There might not be enough time for that to happen this year, and that momentum could be enough of a benefit to override the other concerns of this hastened timeline.