Lakers News: Rajon Rondo Says LA Has Right Mix to 'Get to the Promised Land'

Rajon Rondo believes the Los Angeles Lakers have the team composition and coaching staff needed to "get to the promised land" this season if the NBA resumes play this year.

"We have a heck of a team and a great opportunity," the veteran point guard told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. "And you can feel the magnitude of guys wanting to get out there, play and finish what we started. We're still open in thinking we still do have that opportunity. We are still training like we are coming back to make a run for it."

The Lakers reopened their practice facility on Saturday, while Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported Thursday that superstar LeBron James has been holding workouts "with one to two teammates at a time at a closed-off, private location."

Charania added that all necessary precautions have been taken in those workouts and those players have been tested in an effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That means the Lakers are operating under the assumption the season will resume and a title will be there for them to chase. They currently hold the best record in the Western Conference (49-14) and the second-best record in the NBA, trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks (53-12). 

It isn't a foregone conclusion the league will return this season, however. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe reported Wednesday that "NBA teams are expecting the league office will issue guidelines around June 1 that will allow franchises to start recalling players who've left their markets as a first step toward a formal ramp-up for the season's resumption."

They added that the league office is "discussing a step-by-step plan for a resumption of the season that includes an initial two-week recall of players into team marketplaces for a period of quarantine, one to two weeks of individual workouts at team facilities and a two- to three-week formal training camp."

Additionally, the league may return under unprecedented circumstances, with games being held in one or two remote locations without fans in attendance. Per Woj's report, Orlando's Walt Disney World and Las Vegas are in the running to be the two locations, presumably one for Eastern Conference teams and one for the Western Conference. 

And the format is uncertain, with questions regarding whether the NBA will continue the regular season, move to an abridged regular season or simply jump right into a play-in tournament for the postseason.

So a lot is yet to be determined. But for Rondo and the Lakers, this season represents an excellent chance to win a title, regardless of the format.