It’s the end of the road for the Lakers this season and while their journey will continue in the playoffs, LeBron took a minute to reflect on the last 82 games. Contrary to the feeling of many Lakers fans, James said the season was pretty good overall given everything that happened.
“For everything we went through, it’s a pretty good season for us,” said James.
LeBron James credits the Lakers for having a “pretty good season” winning 47 games – more than last year’s 43 – and says he feels better physically heading into the postseason now than he did last spring pic.twitter.com/p7cTZ4Qd04
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 15, 2024
From coaching rumors to constant trade scenarios, the Lakers had to endure a lot of distractions and they fared pretty well given how stacked the West is. If nothing else, the Lakers proved that they aren’t far away from being a contender and the feeling is that they can make a deep playoff run if circumstances fall their way.
Even so, after last year’s impressive playoff run, fans came in expecting an even better team for this campaign. Instead, it was more mediocrity from the Purple and Gold and it landed them here, with an uphill climb to the Finals.
Despite the good health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers couldn’t finish above 8th in the West, and it will surely make a difference in how far they’re able to go.
Along with being in the ultra-talented West, the Lakers have operated in a state of flux all season thanks to countless injuries. Over past few months alone, several role-players have come in and out of shooting slumps and the Lakers themselves experienced a nasty losing streak in the not-too-distant-past.
Through it all, the Lakers have managed to take care of business and win just enough games to give them a realistic path to the title. Only time will tell how it plays out but their path has finally been revealed and they know just what to expect.
Lakers Vs. Pelicans In Crucial West Play-In Game
The Lakers narrowly avoided sliding to 9th in the standings, and it may just save their season. Instead of winning two play-in games on the road, they only need to win once to advance and secure their spot in the first round.
If the Lakers win the game, they will finish 7th and face the Denver Nuggets in round one, or they could split the tournament and slide to 8th for a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Or, in the worst-case scenario, they could lose both games and fall out of the playoff entirely.
With so much at stake, the pressure has never been higher for the Lakers to take care of business, especially since this is one of LeBron’s final seasons. If they don’t win now, or at least come close, it will not paint a good picture of the future of the LeBron James era.
But first, they must focus on the battle in front of them, which just so happens to be the same team they played today. It will take a disciplined effort to contain Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, but winning this game is important for preserving the stars and sending a message that the Lakers are still a team to fear in the Western Conference.
If tonight’s match was a sign of anything, the Pelicans should be very worried about the battle to come and their very reputation is riding on how they perform in this post-season.
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