Los Angeles Lakers’ Carmelo Anthony likes to compare it to Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LOS ANGELES – Before the Lakers even held official training, let alone played in a game, this season, LeBron James told teammates that they reminded him of another group of veterans led by an aging legend: Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bradys Bucs lost their first game together in the first season of the quarterback with the New England Patriots, and were just 7-5 overall before they caught fire. After Tampa Bay had won the last four regular season games, it went through the postseason 4-0, crowned by a 31-9 victory in Super Bowl LV against the favored Kansas City Chiefs.

James believed the Lakers – who traded for Russell Westbrook in the off-season and added a handful of accomplished veterinarians like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Trevor Ariza – would be waiting for a similar ride.

James shared the prediction with his new teammates during a player-run volunteer mini-camp in Las Vegas in September.

Anthony said it was a fitting comparison after Tuesday’s Lakers practice session.

“Just from the standpoint of starting slowly and having new people on the team. New system. People trying to figure it out, people trying to figure out how to play with LeBron and [Anthony Davis] and now they are integrating Russ and right now everyone is finding out what their role is, “he told reporters in a video conference that.”

The Lakers reached the middle of the season on Sunday when they lost 127: 119 to the Memphis Grizzlies in a game up to 29 points behind. At 21-20, LA is currently number 7 in the Western Conference.

“It was just a kind of preparation for whatever happens, whatever happens,” said Anthony. “I think we were, I don’t mean to say we were prepared for it [difficult] Moments and those times mentally and emotionally, but yes, those were conversations that were taking place. “

Lakers backup security guard Wayne Ellington said James’ Tampa Bay example was something he built confidence on when the Lakers took their lumps.

“Everyone said, ‘Oh no!’ And suddenly, [the Buccaneers] take a step at the right time. In the end, I won the whole thing, “said Ellington.” And that’s one of the things I always come back to when you see how our season has gone so far. And stay positive and stay professional, man.

“Understand that this thing can go in the right direction for us pretty quickly.”

LA has a relatively easy week with just two games: Sacramento on Wednesday and Denver on Friday.

It will give Davis (MCL sprain in left knee) and Kendrick Nunn (bone contusion in right knee) more time to continue their rehab without missing out on so much game action.

The Lakers are expected to release an injury update on Davis on Friday marking four weeks after his injury when Jaden McDaniels of Minnesota fell into him. Nunn, who missed the entire season, is slated to be back on the lineup before the end of January, sources told ESPN.

In a matter of weeks, the Lakers could be completely healthy for the first time all season, with 2 1/2 months off season to put together a run, just like the Bucs.

“It’s a great comparison. We look forward to it. We hear it, we hear it. It’s a great comparison,” said Anthony. “I don’t think we think about it every day. We just have some kind of analogy to compare it to, and what team and situation could it be compared to better than what the Bucs did last year?”