Speaking ahead of the Lakers‘ game against the Timberwolves on Thursday, Charles Barkley gave his honest assessment of the organization and where they rank among the best teams in the league. Much to the chagrin of Lakers fans, Barkley denied they were a contender on the same level as other elite Western teams.
“I think they’re solid but I don’t think they’re a contender,” said Barkley. “They were awful to start the season and Luka is an upgrade but I still don’t think they’re on the same level as the Nuggets. I’m not sure they’re better than Memphis. I’m not even sure they’re better than the Rockets.”
The NBA Western Conference is deeper than ever before and not everyone agrees about how the Lakers stack up. Before the Doncic trade, they were squarely in the top six in the West but they had no hope of beating the top teams.
Now, with Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith, the situation has changed completely for the Lakers. At 25 years old, Luka is one of the best offensive players in the game with career averages of 28.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. He led the Mavericks to the Finals in 2024 and to the Conference Finals in 2022.
Amid reports of his poor conditioning and work ethic, Doncic was exiled from the Mavericks and sent packing in a secret trade that nobody saw coming. Now, Doncic is a Laker and he believes they can win it all.
This season, at 35-21, the Lakers are currently fifth in the West and five games ahead of the Clippers in the standings. Since acquiring Luka, they are 7-2 and have shown amazing potential on both sides of the court. With LeBron James (40), they have a proven champion and leader who makes the perfect sidekick to Doncic.
Still, there are doubts that the Lakers are on the same level as other contenders. Ignoring teams like the Celtics, Knicks, and Cavaliers, the Lakers have some steep competition in the West and there’s no guarantee they will make it far.
Arguably the biggest hurdle is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have been the league’s best team all season long. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading them, OKC has only lost 11 games and is one of the few organizations to rank in the top five on both offense and defense.
There’s also the Memphis Grizzlies at the two-seed. The return of Ja Morant has sparked a revival in Memphis, and the team is eager to prove that their success is not tied to the regular season. Out of all 30 teams, the Grizzlies have the fourth-highest net rating at +6.4
Finally, there’s the Denver Nuggets. It’s no surprise that Barkley tagged them as a true contender given that they are the last Western Conference team to win the title. After a sluggish start, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic have turned things around and they are clicking at the right time with the NBA playoffs approaching.
Other teams could give the Lakers trouble in a series, including some that are below them in the standings like the Warriors, Timberwolves, and Dallas Mavericks. As it stands, however, the Lakers cannot be counted out given their championship experience and the combined talents of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
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