The NBA is set to return on July 31, keeping the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship hopes alive. Before the season was suspended on March 11, L.A. looked like it might have the best chance of anyone to win the 2020 NBA Finals.

The Lakers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, their two biggest threats to win the title, in consecutive games shortly before basketball was put on hold. LeBron James was making a push to catch Giannis Antetokounmpo in the MVP race. Anthony Davis was the top contender for Defensive Player of the Year.

When 22 teams convene in Orlando, Florida to play eight “seeding” games to determine the final playoff picture, it might feel like a new season. The league will go 142 days between games. There’s no guarantee that an impressive record will translate to success in the postseason following a four and a half month hiatus.

It’s all but certain that the Lakers will be the West’s No.1 seed, but a few important questions remain about a potential championship run.

How will LeBron James be affected by the hiatus?

Maybe it will do James some good that, at 35 years old, he was able to get extended rest before a playoff run. But the new schedule will give James less time between games in each series, and the Lakers might even be forced to play a back-to-back in the first round. In order for Los Angeles to win its first title in a decade, it’ll need James to prove he’s still the best player in the NBA.

Can the Lakers’ two stars carry them to a championship?

The Bucks and Clippers are both led by superstars, but depth has been a key to their success. Even though the Lakers have gotten unexpected performances from veterans like Dwight Howard, they are driven by the NBA’s best duo. James and Davis average a combined 52.4 points per game. Kyle Kuzma is a distant third with 12.5 points per contest and no postseason experience. Unless Danny Green catches fire for a significant stretch of games, it’ll be the Lakers’ star power that determines the team’s fate.

What effect will no fans in a neutral venue have on the games?

There is much less of a benefit to being the No.1 seed when you don’t get an extra home game in a playoff series. In a Western Conference Finals matchup with the Clippers, the Staples Center might have been dominated by Lakers’ fans in every contest. Playing in an empty Orlando gym could benefit the Lakers in the NBA Finals, considering Milwaukee is 28-3 at home. The Lakers actually have a better road record than home record, going 25-5 outside of L.A.

Anthony Davis LeBron James Lakers
LeBron James #23 is congratulated by Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers after scoring a basket against Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at Staples Center on October 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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