The Los Angeles Lakers are looking like a threat to the rest of the Western Conference and are making a run for the playoffs.
Franchise legend and 5-time champion Michael Cooper believes the Lakers can make the playoffs and challenge for the title, if healthy.
“All of this is predicated on the health of the Lakers. LeBron suffered an injury last night, Anthony Davis has to stay healthy. If the Lakers can stay healthy and these young men start to gel even better, I don’t care what the top 6 teams are, I am going to be scared to play the Lakers. The Lakers are not a team you want to see in a 5 or 7-game series because they are getting better. It all depends on the health of the Lakers, if they get into the playoffs healthy, they could challenge for a championship.”
“I would be afraid to play the Lakers"
Lakers Legend Michael Cooper still has confidence in the team if they can make the playoffs #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/2YpJRtg9BT
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 28, 2023
Given the LeBron James injury that Cooper referred to is worse than anticipated and could sideline him for at least a month, do the Lakers still have a strong chance at making it into the playoffs?
Can The Lakers Improve Their Record Without LeBron James?
The Lakers are 5-9 without LeBron James this season and 1-1 in games with their new-look lineup. The toll on LeBron’s body this season was quite significant, with him playing 40 minutes or more in many games despite being in his 20th season. The Lakers are 29-32 right now and need to add wins to just get to .500, let alone push for a top-6 seed.
Given how Anthony Davis played last time LeBron got hurt, the Lakers will hope the better-fitting supporting cast around AD now can allow him to have MVP-level impact and add wins for the Lakers. A top-6 seed may be out of the question, but they can definitely still enter the play-in tournament by the time LeBron is healthy enough to return.
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