Lance Stephenson believes that things would have gone much differently during the 2018–2019 season had the Lakers avoided the injury bug. Going as far as to say that the Lakers would have gone all the way to win a championship that year.
The ten-year veteran played 68 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019 and posted averages of 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 42.6% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
This was LeBron James’ first season with the organization, but the club struggled with injuries and finished 37-45, missing the playoffs. LeBron missed 27 games, Ingram missed 30, Kuzma missed 12, and Lonzo Ball missed 35.
The Lakers team was very young this season, as it still maintained a core of young players. Although there has been growth in these players’ careers, they still had much room to blossom before becoming the players they are today.
Stephenson says healthy Lakers win a ring in 2019
Stephenson recently made a bold claim about his time with the Lakers in an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports.
“LeBron got hurt that year with his groin, Kuzma got hurt. A lot of guys got hurt, I feel like we would’ve won it that year.” Stephenson stated.
In the end, management executed a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis in the summer of 2019, knowing the roster wasn’t quite at the level Stephenson believed it was. In their first season together, Davis and James won the Lakers their 17th NBA championship.
Ultimately, the Raptors wound up defeating the Warriors to win their first-ever championship that season. However, to Lance Stephenson’s credit, it is a valid argument to say that a team with a healthy James is a serious threat to win an NBA title every season.
