Originally compiled from: The Ringer
Written by Kevin O'Connor
原标题：It’s Time to Take the Lakers Seriously (Again)
Even after the trade deadline makeover, few believe the Los Angeles Lakers will be a serious contender for this season's championship. But what about after the upset Grizzlies in the first round? It's hard to deny that LeBron James and his buddies really have a chance to win another title.
The Lakers who completed the Black Seven are gradually getting better
The Lakers have something special, expanding the technical versatility of James, the thick eyebrows who have regained dominance, and the depth of a strong roster of shooters, passers and defenders.
Whether you love them or hate them, the Lakers scored some dramatic feats in the first round to prove Morant that the Grizzlies are far from the "powerhouse of the West." Dillon Brooks provoked James to score 40 points, only to score a 40-point crushing defeat in series G6, turning him from villain to clown.
Of course, as the second-youngest team in the NBA, the Grizzlies are a high-achieving team. They had a sick point guard (Morant) and were missing two key big men (Adams and Brandon Clark) in the first round. But they're still the No. 2 seed, and they should win the game, but the reverse is that after a 125-85 win on Friday, the Lakers became the first team to complete the Black Seven since 2010, and there are signs that they are getting better.
Brother Thick Eyebrows dreams of returning to the championship season
In the first round of the G6 competition, the thick-eyed brother unleashed his inner John Wick (the main character of the movie Chase) into the top assassin mode, a performance reminiscent of his legendary journey to winning the championship in 2020.
This series revealed a huge difference between the regular season and the playoffs, and personally, the perfect combination of height, reach, reaction time, and speed when AD is at full strength, is unmatched across the league. While Davis lacked the enthusiasm to ignite the league during the regular season, all NBA players would be intimidated if he returned to his peak form in the playoffs.
The biggest difference between the current thick eyebrows and the 2020 championship period is his offense, at that time, the thick eyebrows shot hot, now he almost does not shoot outside the paint area, the current Lakers are also more used as a finishing man under the basket, every game he strives to rush into the paint area, cut inside and reap rebounds, in the case of G6, he buried Jaren Jackson Jr. with a fierce dunk.
The transition of James's role
James' role is also different because his body is no longer as explosive as it used to be, after all, he is 38 years old, has played countless minutes in his 20-year career, and is dealing with a foot injury, and in the first round of G6 he can be seen switching roles, leaving Russell and Reeves in charge of the offense, while he enjoys the off-ball, cuts and covers, and quickly counter-attacks in the conversion offense for easy finishing.
LeBron's possession remains strong and can finish with the ball, and in the first round of G4, he ruthlessly rushed to the basket late in the fourth quarter and in overtime to take the victory away from the Grizzlies. Considering that his real impact in that game came from the defensive end, grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds, it was one of his brightest moments of the season.
However, considering his age and health, LeBron will bring a hint of worry to the Lakers, but his absence in the second half of the regular season gave Reeves the opportunity to prove himself, and the Lakers saw the return in the G1 closing period, LeBron and AD blocked Reeves and completely killed the Grizzlies.
The operation of the trade deadline gave the Lakers a new look
The Lakers completed a trade deadline that everyone was very happy with, and now the Lakers have players who can create opportunities independently, and when opponents focus their defense on James, James has more options, and Davis doesn't need to hit the inside under pressure.
Frankly, a full load of trade deadlines has given the Lakers a new look. Russell can be on fire, like he scored 31 points in G6, or as he hit three consecutive three-pointers in key G4 moments to help the Lakers close the gap and give the Lakers a chance to turn around. Reeves scored 23 points at G4. Hachimura has his efficient projection moments. Vanderbilt is an important part of the frontcourt. Schroeder often stepped up from the bench to solve problems on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. All of them found the right roles.
Hamm is learning and getting better
Lakers coach Hamm wisely adjusted James' role in G6, while Hamm shortened his rotation lineup, adopted a seven-man rotation, kept Billis and Troy Brown Jr. on the bench until garbage time, and Hachimura got more playing time, who helped the team lock up Bane. Also winning more playing time was Schroeder.
In his first season as head coach, Hamm made some mistakes – such as replacing him in the third quarter of G5 when the deficit was close to 1 point – but it is encouraging that Hamm is still learning and getting better as a rookie manager, and despite his flaws as a young coach, the players do respect him. He brings infectious selflessness to this Lakers offensive end and injects tireless fighting spirit on the defensive end, which is why the Lakers chose him.
The Lakers' road ahead is still challenging, and they will face the defending champion Warriors, and although not favored by the outside world, this Lakers already have all the ingredients to compete for the championship.