If the playoffs were today, the Los Angeles Lakers wouldn’t be making it. And despite their wobbly run, there is apparent faith that they will make play-in.
The Lakers missed a playoff berth last season, finishing 33-49 in the regular season. The year before, they made the playoffs by winning the play-in against the Golden State Warriors, only to be ousted by the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
The Athletic’s Jovan Buha made a bold prediction that the Lakers would make the play-in tournament, and he had his reasons for it.
Lakers will make the Play-In Tournament: That’s about as spicy as I’m willing to get with a group currently facing more questions than answers. Without knowing the extent of Anthony Davis’ injury, or whether the team is going to make a trade, the Lakers’ season is hanging in a weird balance. But I think as long as LeBron James remains healthy, they have a decent chance of remaining around .500 until Davis returns. Their young supporting cast is beginning to click, and I think this group can overachieve relative to modest expectations.
The Lakers look a far cry from being clinical, and despite LeBron James’ consistent production, the side needs some solid upgrades to their current roster if they indeed intend to make the postseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers Need Anthony Davis, And Another Bona Fide Superstar
With Anthony Davis’ stress fracture ruling him out indefinitely, Los Angeles have been heavily reliant on James to shoulder a major load. And to his credit, he’s been doing the bulk of the scoring averaging 27.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. His last five games have seen him prop up 32.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists.
It is to be noted that James has been playing through an ankle injury as well. Another setback in the form of him being sidelined drastically dips the Lakers’ chances of even notching up decent wins this year.
With murmurs around trades revolving around DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vuceivic, or even acquiring Zach LaVine for that matter, will elevate the side to playoff contenders, and beyond if James and Davis are healthy. Much depends on how the Lakers’ front office fares during the trade window.
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