As the NBA All-Star break drags on, teams and players across the league are preparing for the upcoming playoff push. In Los Angeles, the Lakers still have a lot of work to do before they can truly compete with the best, and LeBron James is the first to admit that. It’s why he’s taking it upon himself to set the example and come out swinging when the action resumes later this week.
“The West is incredible. So many great teams,” said James on the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. “Obviously, you got the defending champions with OKC. San Antonio is playing great ball. Houston is playing good ball. Denver is playing good ball. Jokic is back. Phoenix is playing good ball. You know, a lot of people didn’t think we’re going to, you know, play good ball. We’re playing good ball at times, but the number one important thing for us is getting back our health. We finally got healthy, you know, with AR coming back, then Luka goes down with the hamstring. So, that is going to be the most important for our team.”
The Western Conference is as loaded as it’s ever been, with several teams being potential Finals candidates. Between the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, and Rockets, the competition is steep, and the star-power is high with guys like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kevin Durant (among others). Even the Suns have made some noise, thanks to Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.
How the Lakers fit into this picture remains to be seen, but they’ve been in the mix all season. Led by LeBron, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves, they’ve been steadily within the top six and as high as second in the standings. More importantly, they’ve beaten some good teams with flashes of brilliance on both ends of the floor. With veteran leadership, star power, and instant scoring, they have some essential championship pieces already, but they’ll need everyone to stay healthy in order to make it count.
With various injuries already, consistency has been hard to come by. For LeBron, this entire season has been unusual in that he didn’t even play for the first 14 games due to a right-side sciatica injury that began during training camp. He has also been dealing with left foot arthritis, further complicating his health and conditioning.
Between his recovery and injuries to Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Luka Doncic, it’s a miracle the Lakers have managed to stay afloat as well as they have. It only proves the Lakers’ resiliency and validates James’ belief that they can compete with the best of the best on any given night.
