The Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of making the playoffs after a historically bad 2-10 start to the season look increasingly secure with the team’s recent form.
Despite losing to the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers saw the return of LeBron James off the bench. After James returned from his month-long foot injury, the Lakers’ odds of winning the title have sky-rocketed.
The Lakers now have moved to sixth-best odds of any team in the Western Conference to win the NBA Finals following LeBron James' return to action today, from +4200 to +3500, per @FDSportsbook.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 26, 2023
This is the Lakers’ first loss with LeBron in the lineup since the trade. He wasn’t looking like himself as he was trying to ramp up back to the star we know him to be. He scored a team-high 19 points off the bench in 30 minutes while also pulling down 8 rebounds.
Is It Realistic To Put These Hopes On The Lakers?
The Lakers have found their roster after over 50 games of the season had been played. In addition, they’ve been without their best player for nearly a month. Teams don’t often put their strengths together so quickly, and it is more likely that the Lakers are competitive enough to make a playoff push next season.
Without earning the 6th seed, the Lakers’ title path will be extremely improbable. If they’re actually a team that can compete for a title, catching up to the Golden State Warriors and Clippers, who are 2 games ahead of them, is imperative.
It is hard to ascertain which teams will be competitive in the Western Conference. The Lakers will hope that their superstar punch of LeBron and Anthony Davis, along with their solid supporting cast. It may look better after an offseason where LeBron and AD can heal up, but this season isn’t something the team is simply going to give up on. They should push and have at least a shot to make some noise in the West, though beating one of the top East teams for the title is unlikely.
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