There has been much doubt about the L.A. Lakers this past summer. For one reason or another, folks have questioned whether or not their new roster really has what it takes to win it all this upcoming season.
Amid all the doubts, former Lakers forward Metta Sandiford-Artest issued his own statement on the status of the Purple and Gold, claiming that the team, as constructed, is enough to make some waves.
“So I was talking with a couple of people about the Lakers team. The Lakers are the oldest team in the league but they’re not super old. They’re not all 39, 40. They’re right on the edge of being old.
So with that being said, I think they’re in a unique situation. The year we won the title, we were all like 29, 30. When Jordan won his last title, he was probably like 34. So with that being said you got a bunch of Hall of Famers who are just exiting their prime — so they still have the intelligence, they still have their physical capabilities. This is one of the reasons why I think the Lakers will have the opportunity to win the Finals.”
Here is my reason why I think the @Lakers have the opportunity to win the @NBA championship pic.twitter.com/5786DrgCLF
— Coach Metta (@MettaWorld37) October 9, 2021
Needless to say, Artest isn’t the only one who believes in the Lakers. In fact, many fans have made the case that this team is poised for success:
“The only star completely out of their prime is Melo and he still contributes,” wrote one fan. “Russ is still allstar all nba talent. AD is young still and lebron is lebron. Nash was 40 and Dwight was NO WHERE CLOSE to Orlando Dwight. Same can be said with Malone and GP. Lakers winning the chip.”
The Lakers are definitely going to face a number of challenges this campaign. Besides age, they’ll have to compete in a deep and unforgiving Western Conference.
But with the talent and experience of their crew, it’d be foolish to count them out completely.
