Two teams that were greatly disappointing in the 2022 season were the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers were atrocious on the basketball court, despite LeBron James playing like a top-5 player in the game with an average of 30.3 PPG. For most of the year, The King was in direct contention for winning the scoring title in his 19th season. But Anthony Davis only played 40 games and Russell Westbrook proved to be a disastrous pickup with the way he shot the ball and turned it over consistently. With a trio that was unable and poorly fit, the Lakers missed the play-in tournament.
- Starting Lineups
- Bench
- Coach
- Darvin Ham vs. Steve Nash
- Los Angeles Lakers Advantage
- Brooklyn Nets Advantage
- Both Teams Face Massive Obstacles, But Look Great On Paper
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The Lakers made some changes including bringing in new pieces in Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schroder, Patrick Beverley, and Lonnie Walker while replacing head coach Frank Vogel with Darvin Ham. Of course, Kendrick Nunn is expected to be available to play after mysteriously missing the entire 2022 campaign. LeBron will play in his 20th season and will be required to do what he normally does, and Anthony Davis will be required to lead the team in scoring. Of course, Westbrook is still on the roster, and Lakers fans will hope Darvin Ham will bench the former MVP when necessary.
The Nets endured a miserable season before being humiliatingly swept by the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs. Even after James Harden forced his way out of the team and Kyrie Irving only participated in 29 games as a result of his refusal to receive the covid vaccine, Brooklyn was fortunate to make the playoffs. But no doubt, the Nets were title favorites at the start of the year with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving forming one of the most talented duos of all time. James Harden was also expected to be a factor but he did not last long as he was traded for 3-time All-Star Ben Simmons.
But to make matters worse, Simmons was not available due to physical and mental ailments The Nets finished with a 44-38 record, hardly impressive for a title contender that had arguably the best player in the world in their ranks. Looking ahead to next season, the Nets hope the team gels on the court as they aim to make use of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons’ presences as arguably the best trio in the league. With Durant back in the mix alongside Kyrie Irving and (hopefully) Ben Simmons, the Nets are clearly a favorite to come out of the East.
Nonetheless, the Lakers and Nets are both considered title contenders because they are in win-now mode. But their issues cannot be overlooked because the game is not played on paper and aspects such as team chemistry are extremely important. It is time to discover team comparisons in every major facet including starting lineups, benches, coaches, and key advantages so we can get an indication of which team will perform better over the 2022-23 NBA season.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Thomas Bryant
Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton
On paper, the Los Angeles Lakers starters should be competing with the top teams in the NBA. Russell Westbrook and LeBron James are both former MVPs, Anthony Davis is already a Hall of Famer, and the additions of Schroder, Beverley, Walker, and Thomas Bryant provide floor-spacing and defense along with depth. But unfortunately, matching other top contenders won’t be possible. For one, Russell Westbrook is still on the team and he seems as defiant as ever in his media day interviews so far. A player set in his ways, the Lakers will not be able to get the point guard to play any other style of basketball and his fit with James and Davis will continue being a poor one.
Perhaps most importantly, Anthony Davis is also extremely injury-prone and has only played a minimum of 60 games once with Los Angeles, as that came in the 2020 “bubble” season. If Davis can stay fully healthy and at least play 68 games, the Lakers could be a major factor because we all know what LeBron James can do. As long as LeBron and Davis are on the floor together, anything can happen even if Westbrook is not an ideal third option. Kendrick Nunn will have a big role in playmaking and scoring the ball, as he brings something new in terms of pushing the pace and handling the ball. Thomas Bryant is a solid center who is active in the paint and can also space the floor from three, freeing up the court for Anthony Davis.
Again, on paper, the Brooklyn Nets starters should be competing with the best teams in the NBA and they should actually be the favorite to win it all. Kevin Durant is the best player in the world alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kyrie Irving should be eligible to play the entire season with no excuses including covid vaccinations or other off-court issues. Ben Simmons, when healthy, is a top-10 defensive player in the world and one of the best all-around talents in the league. He also seems to be tuned into the 2023 season based on what we have heard from the Australian. Standing 6’11” and having guard-like skills and athleticism, Simmons can be a game-changer on the court alongside two elite offensive players.
The other starters, Seth Curry for shooting and Nic Claxton for rim defense and driving to the hoop, are both very effective in their respective roles. The Nets starters have the talent to make an impression and are constructed for contending. Their defense is one element that stands out since Ben Simmons will be crucial to playing outstanding on-ball defense. The Nets won’t be able to stop other teams without Simmons in the starting lineup and should be a strong force as long as Simmons is available. It must be mentioned that there is little to no team bonding because both franchise players have asked to be traded and because Simmons just had back surgery. But the Nets are still better equipped than the Lakers because their Big Three fit well together.
Advantage: Brooklyn Nets
Bench
Los Angeles Lakers: Dennis Schroder, Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Austin Reaves, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, Troy Brown Jr.
Brooklyn Nets: Patty Mills, Joe Harris, Edmond Sumner, Cam Thomas, T.J. Warren, Royce O’Neal, Day’Ron Sharpe
The Los Angeles Lakers bench looks decent after the additions of Schroder, Beverley, Walker, Toscano-Anderson, and Damian Jones. Schroder was the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021, posting 15.4 PPG and 5.8 APG which are decent numbers. Schroder will likely be a 6th man for the Lakers, which is truly his best role. The speedy point guard has a point to prove and should be a nice pickup for Los Angeles. Next, Patrick Beverley brings toughness and defense which has helped every team he has played for so far. No doubt, Beverley is playing with elite superstars in James and Davis which should elevate his play. Lonnie Walker can defend well and has excellent athleticism, but he needs to improve his shooting to reach another level.
Not to mention, Austin Reaves was a major surprise and one of the single bright spots from last season, so he should return even better in 2023 with a year under his belt. It remains to be seen if moving Horton-Tucker was the right move because trading a 21-year-old with some nice potential for a 34-year-old veteran is a massive gamble, but that could mean the Lakers will eventually go all-in by getting rid of draft picks to eventually move on from Russ. Otherwise, the Lakers will hope Dennis Schroder can get back to playing his best ball after getting traded to two different teams since 2021. Grabbing Toscano-Anderson from the Warriors could also prove to be a nice little pickup throughout the season.
The Brooklyn Nets bench looks decent in terms of talent but they are unproven besides Patty Mills and Royce O’Neale. Brooklyn will be happy with what they will get from Patty Mills, a guard with a solid outside jumper. Mills averaged 11.4 PPG and 2.3 APG last year on 40.0% 3-PT FG, and that will absolutely do if the Nets want a backup to Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry off the bench. O’Neale has been a steady contributor for the Utah Jazz because the 6’4” swingman can defend well and make outside shots. His experience will come in handy for bench depth. T.J. Warren has been a solid player for most of his career, but he has played 4 games in two years due to injury.
As for the rest of the bench, they are not convincing. Joe Harris is going through a hard time with his injuries, and we have seen the shooter miss critical shots during the 2021 series against the Milwaukee Bucks two years ago. Edmond Sumner and Cam Thomas are also unproven in big games, and youngster Day’Ron Sharpe is the only legitimate backup big man at only 20 years old with one season under his belt. The Nets bench is quite thin outside of an aging Patty Mills and Royce O’Neale, so they will hope Warren returns to full health soon.
Advantage: Los Angeles Lakers
Coach
Darvin Ham vs. Steve Nash
Darvin Ham is regarded as a brilliant young coach with great ideas and a little bit of old-school grit to his ideals. Ham was a good player when he was a competitor and will have first-hand knowledge when it comes to positioning his players for success. Given that it appears the point guard will remain on the Lakers roster for the remainder of the season, Ham has also said the appropriate things to keep Russell Westbrook on his good side. The new head coach has also shared his excitement to work with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and most Lakers fans seem happy to have him in their ranks. It won’t be easy to lead this team, but Ham has made the correct statements and is well regarded by rival coaches and players around the league.
Despite Kyrie Irving only playing in 29 games last season, Steve Nash deserves praise for managing to lead the Nets into the playoffs. For his stars, Nash used some devastating isolation-based offense, and Brooklyn did occasionally look lethal throughout the year. Nash, a star offensive player in his peak, is skilled at attracting the attention of his star players. The next stage for Nash is to figure out how to provide other players opportunities to score while simultaneously persuading them to play solid defense. The defense will significantly improve with Nic Claxton’s re-signing and the addition of Royce O’Neal, but Nash will need to persuade both Durant and Kyrie that he is the right candidate.
As a result, there is no doubt that each coach does not have an advantage over the other. Darvin Ham is a rookie head coach and while he is a respected leader due to his experience competing in the NBA and sitting on the bench alongside other coaches, he will need to learn on the job rather quickly. Ham will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to lead a LeBron James team that is in win-now mode, but we have no proof yet that he will manage well. Nash has been a head coach for two years, and we have not quite seen enough from him. He has dealt with being thrown under the bus by his star players and also failed to keep everyone motivated and together. But Nash does have an edge over Ham in terms of being thrown in the fire, and that evens out the disappointment that the coach has been through.
Advantage: Even
Los Angeles Lakers Advantage
The Los Angeles Lakers have two talents that no other team has: LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The King will be 38 at some point next season, but he is still the smartest basketball player alive and will elevate the play of the new pieces including Schroder, Walker, and Beverley. James makes every adjustment that is needed and has been through the trenches time and time again, which means at age 38, James is a force in the league and will be in the MVP conversation if the Lakers win the number of games they are expected to. LeBron is a massive advantage that the Lakers have, and they will need to go all-in because of him.
Secondly, Anthony Davis will need to return to All-NBA form, because he can be a massive factor on the court for the Lakers. No team except the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets has a player as skilled and dominant as Anthony Davis. A big man with exceptional scoring ability and defensive versatility, Davis at his best causes a ton of matchup problems that cannot be overlooked. The Lakers have two franchise cornerstones with incredible size and talent, and they should feed the stars all season long to create an advantage over 90% of the teams across the NBA.
Brooklyn Nets Advantage
The Brooklyn Nets boast an outstanding pair, led by Kevin Durant, who is regarded as the finest player in the world. Durant, who is 33 years old and is still at his peak, averaged 29.9 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, on 51.8% field goals, 38.3% three-point, and 91.0% free throw shooting. Another unique talent is Kyrie, who played in 29 games last season while still averaging 27.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG. Irving is a more skilled player than he has ever been in many ways because of how effectively he has scored. Simply said, we are unsure of Kyrie’s willingness to continue living for basketball.
An additional X-factor is Ben Simmons. The Nets’ Australian star can make a bigger impact than the two best defenders the Warriors have in Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. Simmons is only 26 years old and possesses exceptional agility and ability, so if he can stay healthy and be prepared to play, he may make a big difference for the Nets. On paper, the Nets have the most talented trio in the NBA and each player fits together perfectly. Durant and Kyrie can control the offense in scoring and Simmons can be the designated defender and playmaker. No team can compete with Brooklyn’s Big Three when healthy, and that might include the Lakers.
Both Teams Face Massive Obstacles, But Look Great On Paper
Overall, the Lakers have a ton of work to do to catch up with the top teams in the league. LeBron James is still a top-10 player in the world, and that is a massive factor in what the Lakers will do next year. The King is an elite passer and leader, and even if he is not at the level he used to be at, he is a game-changer when the rest of the roster follows suit. Expect James to return to his Hall of Fame form, which is obviously a positive for the Purple and Gold. Not to mention, James surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in total points scored will be the biggest storyline of the next season.
But the biggest X-factor has to be Anthony Davis, and that has been the case since he was traded to Los Angeles. Davis holds the keys to the Lakers’ championship hopes because he should be leading the team in scoring and rebounds at this stage of his career. Instead, Davis has been inconsistent on the court in terms of availability and he even shot putrid percentages from the court last year (18.6% 3-PT FG, 71.3% FT).
If James and Davis are healthy, the Lakers will make the playoffs. But how will they win the championship? They will need to organize their depth chart because Russell Westbrook’s minutes must be minimized and he cannot close games for the team. Dennis Schroder, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn are all better fits with LeBron and Davis, and it is expected that any two of them will be in the closing lineups in the fourth quarter. But will Westbrook cause issues having his playing time limited? It is expected that Russ won’t be happy, and Darvin Ham will need to handle a lot of drama into next year.
The Lakers also have doubts about the health of Thomas Bryant and the shooting of Lonnie Walker, as injuries and inconsistent shooting have played them respectively. The Lakers first need to get James and Davis on the floor together, because without them healthy, there is no hope for the team even if Ham sorts out the Russell Westbrook situation.
Due to their star power, the Brooklyn Nets are under pressure to be the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Of course, the Nets are favored due to their incredible talents in Durant, Irving, and Simmons. Kyrie can score as well as any point guard we have seen, Kevin Durant is the top scorer in the game, and Ben Simmons is a special talent with a distinctive skill set. Of course, the reality is different from that because each player has their own issues in terms of character and leadership.
Kyrie seems to be disinterested in playing basketball and seems to want to be a martyr of some sort. Kevin Durant is a talented scorer but he isn’t quite the leader on the level of other top stars and cannot bring players together that well. Ben Simmons can’t shoot and that could affect his mentality going forward while coming off back surgery is not easy for any athlete. Most importantly, chemistry is a very fragile aspect of the NBA, and the Nets do not have much of it.
Overall, in a perfect world, the Lakers and Nets should be meeting in the NBA Finals. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and Russell Westbrook are the names of both teams and they are good enough to win championships together. But each team is extremely flawed due to injuries and chemistry issues, which means it is a wait-and-see game for media and fans around the world.
But as things stand, right now, the Lakers do have a slight advantage because none of the main stars including LeBron James and Anthony Davis asked to leave. Russell Westbrook, even though he knows the team wants to move him, has said all the right things and has not gone public about anything that could damage team chemistry. The Lakers organization also set its standard and brought in solid people to try to bring back the team to its best level. Of course, the fanbase is strong because LeBron is still the best leader in the NBA and guys like Patrick Beverley should help enforce that.
Meanwhile, the Nets have suffered through public embarrassment thanks to Durant and Irving and they are at odds with the head coach. Alienating a coach is a bad thing because there will always be friction between the stars and the coach when it comes down to it. Ben Simmons, the team’s X factor, did not play last season and there is a big question mark on his mentality and even his game. Sure, the Lakers have a ton of issues that can’t be ignored and don’t have arguably the best player in the world anymore, but they are proceeding with a new coach and new players to try to steer the ship the right way.
The Brooklyn Nets superstars have not shown any leadership qualities and that means team chemistry could be a major issue. Therefore, the Lakers have an edge in that department along with avoiding some of the ugliness that Durant and Irving brought to the franchise. Adding in more depth and a stronger fanbase with clout, the Lakers could be in a better position than the Nets in 2023.
