Do L.A. Lakers Have Best Backcourt and Frontcourt in the NBA?

After a team has made major changes to their personnel, it's always a bit difficult forecasting how they'll actually play on the floor. There are variables beyond the inherent talent the players possess and those must be taken into account when evaluating what will occur when they actually play the games. 

It's why Chris Bosh can say that the Lakers have the best team on paper (a point that Kevin Durant essentially reiterated) and everyone understands what his qualifier means. We need to see some evidence before we come to any hard conclusions.

That said, the "on paper" argument is one that still carries some weight. After all, one of the key requisites for a team being successful is them having the adequate talent to do so. Teams don't win without the horses and in acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, the Lakers added two thoroughbreds to their stable that instantly upgraded their roster into the upper crust of the association.

Furthermore, when the Lakers added those two players specifically, they bolstered the compartmentalized units on their team. Said another way, the Lakers already boasted one of the best two shooting guards in the league and one of the best handful of power forwards. In adding the league's best center and one of the top point guards, the Lakers have created a backcourt pairing and a two-thirds of a frontcourt that can be considered the best in the league. 

Are they the best, though? Let's explore...



In terms of their backcourt, I'd argue that the Lakers do have the best in the league. Whether you consider Kobe the best shooting guard in the league or not (Wade is definitely in this discussion), he's certainly one of the top two.

Last season, Kobe was named first team All-NBA for the seventh straight season and remains one of the best all-court players even though he's entering his 17th season. And while Nash is no longer the perennial MVP candidate he w...