DENVER — The bet the Los Angeles Lakers made at the NBA’s trade deadline in early February was the same one they made in the summer of 2019 when they basically traded everything to form one of the NBA’s most talented duos.
That gamble, which has paid out a title and busted under repeated injuries, was that as long as the Lakers had Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the court when the games mattered most, they’d have a shot.
It’s why the Lakers re-made their roster, rebuilt their depth, added more scoring and defending and playmaking. It’s why they’re playing in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
