With a 132-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen to 17-6 on the season. Although the team remains in a strong position, it appears that James isn’t prepared to bank on the team’s early success.
While speaking with the media after Wednesday night’s game, LeBron James was asked a question about whether the Lakers were prepared to make a run in the playoffs. Given that it is still December, James responded:
“It’s December, what? And you’re talking about the playoffs? Nah. I can’t do that. It’s not okay in my mindset. I can’t think about what we can do in the playoffs in December.”
“What I can say is that the habits that we build throughout the regular season, each month, if we are in a position to make it to the postseason and be able to get to that point, we have to build it now,” James added. “But as far as talking about what type of damage we can do in the postseason in December, that’s not right for the basketball Gods.”
Given that it has been less than two months since the 2025-26 season began, LeBron James’ comment seems to be justified. With teams (apart from the Oklahoma City Thunder) just about hitting their stride, it is hard to gauge which ones are in a prime position to be contenders.
With a lot of regular-season action left, LeBron James and the Lakers would do well to focus their attention on addressing their current shortcomings and building a winning culture.
Can LeBron James Go To The Playoffs Again This Season?
The Los Angeles Lakers have been interesting to follow this season. Although they are tied for second in the Western Conference standings, effectively positioning them as a formidable team, the Purple and Gold are also a wildly inconsistent bunch.
Earlier last month, the Lakers emerged as one of the hottest teams in the West, boasting a seven-game winning streak with Luka Doncic at the helm. Once LeBron James returned to the lineup, it was widely expected that Los Angeles would become even better. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.
Many of the Lakers’ present struggles and successes have been defined by James’ performances. Barring the win against the Raptors, which featured James’ long-standing streak coming to an end, the Lakers have typically struggled in games when the 40-year-old hasn’t been at his best.
This might be a coincidence, since Doncic and Austin Reaves are currently the focal points of the offense. However, it is also difficult to overlook James’ impact when he gets going.
Since returning from injury, LeBron James has been inconsistent, possibly due to missing training camp and preseason. As the superstar continues to work his way into game shape, the Lakers will undoubtedly look to James to play his part in leading the team to the playoffs this season.
