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2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season
American professional basketball season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2019–20 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 72nd season, its 71st season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 60th in Los Angeles. The Lakers were coached by Frank Vogel in his first year as team head coach. The team played its home games at Staples Center as members of the Western Conference's Pacific Division.
The team dedicated the season to retired Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. On March 6, 2020, the Lakers clinched their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season. Five days later, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the season was suspended.[1] On July 5, the NBA announced a return of the season in the NBA Bubble, with 22 teams playing eight seeding games followed by a full postseason.[2] Play resumed on July 30, with all games being played in Orlando, Florida.[3] On August 3, the Lakers clinched the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2009–10 season.[4]
The Lakers finished the shortened season 52–19, with a winning percentage roughly equivalent to 60 wins in a full season. They defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets to advance to the NBA Finals. There, they defeated the Miami Heat (LeBron James' former team) in six games to earn the franchise's 17th NBA championship. The Lakers also became the first and only team in NBA history to be undefeated in a season when leading entering the fourth quarter, going a combined 57–0 record in the regular season and playoffs.[5]
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Previous season
In the 2018–19 season the Lakers amassed a record of 37–45. The team finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. The season marked the first time since 2005 that Lakers star LeBron James did not appear in the playoffs and first time since 2010 that he missed the Finals.[citation needed]
Offseason
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Front office and coaching changes
On April 9, 2019, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations.[6] Three days after that, coach Luke Walton and the team agreed to part ways.[7] On May 13, the team hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach[8] and Jason Kidd was named an assistant coach.[9]
Draft
The Lakers held one first-round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.[10][11] The Lakers initially held the rights to two second-round picks in the 2019 draft as well, but later traded those picks to the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively.[12][13] On the night of the NBA draft lottery, the Lakers received the fourth overall pick in the draft; the team had been projected to receive the 11th overall pick.[14] The Lakers used the fourth overall draft pick to select De'Andre Hunter; the team later sent the rights to Hunter to the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.[15]
Trades
On June 15, 2019, the Lakers agreed to acquire six-time NBA All-Star power forward Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. (The deal did not take full effect until July 6).[16][15] In exchange for Davis, the Lakers gave up forward Brandon Ingram, guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, and three first-round picks (including De'Andre Hunter, the No. 4 draft overall selection in 2019).[15] On June 27, the Washington Wizards joined the trade, obtaining Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones, and a 2022 second-round pick from the Lakers in exchange for cash considerations.[17]
Free agents
During the offseason, the Lakers re-signed guard Rajon Rondo,[18] guard Alex Caruso,[19] guard/forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope,[20][21] and center JaVale McGee.[20] The Lakers also signed several veteran free agents to complement James and Davis; those veteran free agents included guard/forward Danny Green,[22] guard Avery Bradley,[23] and center Dwight Howard.[24]
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Preseason
Game log
Regular season
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Standings
Division
Conference
Game log
Season notes
"Kobe is a brother to me. From the time I was in high school watching him from afar, to getting in this league at 18 and watching him up close, all the battles that we had throughout my career, the one thing that we always shared was that determination to just want to win, to just want to be great. The fact that I'm here now means so much to me. I want to continue, along with my teammates, his legacy. Not only for this year, but for as long as we can play this game of basketball that we love, because that's what Kobe Bryant would want. So in the words of Kobe Bryant. Mamba out. But in the words of us, not forgotten. Live on, brother."
— LeBron James' tribute to Kobe Bryant prior to the Laker's first game since the tragedy against the Portland Trail Blazers, five days after his death (January 31, 2020)[28]
The Lakers got off to a fast start to the season, amassing a franchise best 17–2 record by the end of November.[29] Four months later, they were able to clinch their first playoff berth since the 2012–13 season with a 113–103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 6, 2020.[30]
Five days after the Lakers clinched their playoff berth, the NBA season was abruptly suspended by league officials [31] after it was reported that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19.[32] Two unidentified players of the Lakers would later test positive for COVID-19 on March 19.[33] When the season resumed, Avery Bradley declined to play because his oldest child had a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses.[34] The Lakers replaced Bradley on the roster with J. R. Smith, who was James' teammate on the NBA championship-winning 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.[35]
Death of Kobe Bryant
On January 26, 2020, tragedy struck the Lakers organization when retired Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant and seven other passengers.[36] Bryant was 41 at the time of his death, and Gigi was 13. Bryant's death prompted the Lakers to dedicate the rest of their season to his memory.[37][38][39][40]
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Playoffs
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Game log
† Originally scheduled for August 26. Game 5 was rescheduled due to a boycott from NBA players after a police officer shot Jacob Blake.[41]
Playoff notes
In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the eight-seed Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and won the series in five games. In the Western Conference Semifinals, they faced the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets, again winning in five games. The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010, where they defeated the Denver Nuggets in five games.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. In the Finals, the Lakers competed against the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat; this was the first time that the two teams had met in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won the series in six games, winning the championship for the first time since the 2010 season. They became the first team since the 2007–08 Boston Celtics to miss the playoffs one season and win a championship the following season. The Lakers also tied the Celtics for the highest-ever number of NBA championship wins with 17.[42][5] The Lakers' LeBron James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career. He became the first player in league history to be named Finals MVP with three different franchises (twice with the Heat, once with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and once with the Lakers). James and Danny Green became the third and fourth players, respectively, to win NBA championships with three different teams.[43] Lakers president Jeanie Buss became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA title.[44][45]
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Roster
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Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
Playoffs
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Lakers only.
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Transactions
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Overview
| Players Added Trade Free agency
Two-way contract |
Players Lost Trade Free agency Waived |
Trades
| Three-team trade | [46][15][47] | |
To Los Angeles Lakers
|
To New Orleans Pelicans
| |
To Washington Wizards
| ||
Free agency
Re-signed
Additions
Subtractions
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Notes
References
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