Could the Los Angeles Lakers actually miss the playoffs?

With Russell Westbrook joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis, many thought the Los Angeles Lakers would reinstate themselves at the top of the Western Conference. But now, over 30 games into the season, is it fanciful to think that this hall of fame trio could actually miss the playoffs?

The Lakers season has been an unmitigated disaster, at least in relation to common expectation. On a five game losing streak including embarrassing losses to the Spurs and Nets most recently, the purple and gold now sit under .500 at 16-18 and eighth in the West.

Although eighth doesn’t sound overly worrisome, the incredibly tight-knit nature of the West means even the slightest slip could have dire consequences. Sure, the Lakers are just two games back of fifth, but they’re also just 2.5 games ahead of 12th and have the same record as the ninth seed.

The Los Angeles Lakers are LeBron James and spare parts, the sum of which is nothing more than an average team that could easily miss the playoffs.

The roster has clear challenges even when fully healthy, but they haven’t been helped by a myriad of injury and COVID-related absences. It’s what makes this team so intriguing as we approach the trade deadline – how many moves could they possibly make, if any?

The simple idea would be to propose that, come playoff time, the trio of James, Davis, and Westbrook is talented enough to compete in any seven-game series. The problem is that, at present, the Los Angeles Lakers are a ‘big one’ rather than anything resembling a ‘big three’.

The Lakers rank 23rd in net rating at -2.3, suggesting they’re actually a worse team than what the standings may indicate. Davis has an individual rating of -1.8, the third-worst of his career and a drastic decrease from his first two seasons with the Lakers (+3.9 and +3.2). Westbrook’s -2.6 is the worst of his career outside his rookie season in 2008-09.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are +0.7 when James is on the floor, proof that he remains the best and most important player on the team even in his 19th season. If the Lakers were better, you could make the argument he’d be in the MVP race.

So what can James and Rob Pelinka do to make this team better from a roster standpoint? Trading Westbrook sounds fine in theory, but in reality, his exorbitant contract makes that insanely difficult. In addition, any Westbrook trade would be an acceptance that the off-season deal to acquire him was a mistake.

Davis has value, but it might be at its lowest point given his below-average form and ongoing fragility. Plus, regardless of how much we may hypothesize it, James and Pelinka aren’t trading someone they’ve invested so much in, as well as someone who helped them win a title.

Like Davis, others who may have held value are not as desirable as they once were. Talen Horton-Tucker, who was previously seen as the Lakers’ only real young asset, has regressed from the potential star some may have predicted him to be.

Malik Monk was seen as a savvy signing in the off-season, yet he has been nothing more than a role player. He tweeted out a cryptic message a few days ago. Was it to do with being in COVID protocol or was it about his role on the team?

https://twitter.com/AhmadMonk/status/1473842349532868611

All of this means that the Lakers, a team that looks like nothing more than a play-in contender, have little wriggle room in order to get better. James’ teams have always been a desirable destination for buyout candidates, yet that wouldn’t apply to this Lakers team at present.

Their only real hope is that improved health might deliver some consistency, a difficult task given the ongoing COVID dramas. Until then, they’re reliant on James’ heroics on a nightly basis.

But even that may not be enough come season’s end.