As bad as the Lakers have been over the past few weeks and months, there are still some who have faith.
On NBA Countdown Saturday night, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith aligned himself with the believers, telling America that the Lakers might still make some noise this postseason.
“The no. 2 seed is the Memphis Grizzlies. If you’re the Los Angeles Lakers and you’re battling for the play-in spot, if the Los Angeles Lakers are lucky enough to win the play-in and find themselves as a 7th seed, that’s who they go up against.
I know the Lakers have no business being favorites. I know they’ve been trash all season. But in the end, if LeBron is LeBron and Anthony Davis comes back healthy, can we definitively say they can’t win a first-round series against Memphis!?”
.@stephenasmith still thinks there's a chance the Lakers can turn their season around 👀
“If LeBron is LeBron and Anthony Davis comes back healthy, can we definitively say they can’t win a first-round series against Memphis!?” pic.twitter.com/iU395JLRiU
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 13, 2022
It’s almost weird to think that a 9th seeded team could advance deep into the postseason, but Stephen A. isn’t the only one to suggest that the Purple and Gold could be poised to shock some people.
On his podcast, Bill Simmons said the same thing.
“This year, who knows? Chris Paul’s gonna miss 8 weeks. Could Phoenix drop back to the pack? Could Golden State pass Phoenix for the 1-seed even though they’re 6 games back? After Memphis, I don’t like any of the other teams,” said Simmons. “I think they are all flawed. You go Dallas, you go Denver, you go Utah, anybody else… I don’t want to see LeBron (James) and Davis. I don’t even care who they are playing with. Just those 2 guys and 3 role players, who knows?”
With two 50 point games in the span of a week, LeBron James is showing he still has more than enough left in the tank to propel his team to victories. If the Lakers are able to get healthy, it’s not unreasonable to think they could make a run.
The question is, can they stay afloat until then? Losers of 7 in their last 10, recent history has not been kind to the Purple and Gold. If they want to maximize their chances of beating a young and hungry Grizzlies team, they will have to start. making progress now.
