Heading into the stretch run, the Los Angeles Lakers will have many questions that need answering in order to make a postseason run.
As the NBA reaches its stretch run following the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a scenario they most certainly didn’t expect to be in. At 28-29, L.A. sits a full three games out of the eighth and final playoff spot, locked into battle with both the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers.
The trade deadline came and went, and Anthony Davis remained a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. Magic Johnson was duped by then general manager Dell Demps, who seemed more inclined to rip apart L.A.’s team chemistry from the outside rather than make the best deal for his organization.
In the games that have followed, the Lakers have appeared lackluster at best, unable to stop even the most mundane of offensive talent. The precious cohesion and camaraderie LeBron spent so much time and effort building early in the season appears to have been undone by the constant swarm of trade rumors his young teammates have had to endure ever since AD requested a trade.
With just 25 games remaining, Los Angeles has one of the toughest schedules among the 30 NBA teams. Lonzo Ball is still recovering from a left ankle injury with no timetable to return. There were no giant acquisitions made at the deadline. This is the predicament the Lakers have essentially played themselves into with a number of underwhelming performances against some of the league’s cellar dwellers, and it’s on them to now dig themselves out of it.
James will only improve as he rounds back into game shape, and the time off should serve as a nice mental reset following almost too much hysteria. But if the Lakers are to leapfrog at least two teams to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2013, they’ll need to solve a few problems that have been gnawing at their heels for a little while now.