A major failure for the LA Lakers over the past five years is their inability to follow up on the success of their 2020 NBA title.
LeBron James won the NBA Championship in the Bubble in 2020 when his partnership with Anthony Davis hit it straight away.
But as the last five years have shown, the Lakers’ success has been far more than the Star Duo, and it’s coming as they had the right mix around them.
The Lakers finally moved from Anthony Davis in February 2025 and traded him to sign Luka Donsic in a deal that surprised the world of basketball.
At this point, Anthony Davis is out of sight for the La Lakers, with the Dallas Mavericks season ending with a play-in tournament.
However, Davis and LeBron James’ teammates are now thriving in Alex Caruso’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
Caruso played a key role in helping the Thunder win the Nuggets in past rounds, helping to limit Nicola Jokic, the player who ravaged the Lakers in past playoff series.
Speaking about Lakeshow Podcasts, Lakers reporter Mike Bresnahan says he feels fans are missing out on a more defensive star than Anthony Davis right now.
“I feel like fans are more upset about losing him than Anthony Davis,” he said.
“And of course you got pretty good returns on your advertising investment. That’s the obvious part, yeah, but AD is one of the best shot blockers, rebounders and good ranges in the NBA of the past 20 years.”
“Part-time starter Caruso comes out mostly from the bench after joining OKC. Lakers fans become apop trick when they develop his name.”
Lakers fans joined social media during the playoffs to highlight Caruso’s play and insisted that they “will not allow” the front office for letting him walk.
La Lakers allowed Alex Caruso to leave as a free agent in 2021, where he joined the Chicago Bulls.
Instead, the Lakers spent money on the younger players and committed to Talen Horton Tucker.
But this is a coincidence that comes every year, and the Lakers have been in business over recent seasons. Halter Tucker was traded for the Utah Jazz a year later and is now with the Chicago Bulls.
Caruso was traded with OKC by Bulls on Josh Giddey’s deal a year ago, making the most of his run with the number one seed in the West.
He is one of five former Lakers players currently competing in the NBA Conference Finals, and praises his “incredible” performance.
And the reason for the upset is completely understandable for the Lakers to lose him without getting anything in return.