The Los Angeles Lakers, who are currently 27-31, have clearly not lived up to anyone’s expectations so far this season. Many expected them to be title contenders, but right now, it seems as though they should struggle to make the playoffs.
They have struggled mightily, whether it’s due to a poor offseason by the front office, Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing long periods of time, or Russell Westbrook simply not playing the kind of basketball that everyone expected him to.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still the most feared team in the West
It’s difficult to predict if the Lakers will be able to turn their season around after 60 games, but at the end of the day, they still have LeBron James leading their team. And usually, when a team is led by him, they will find success if he can just get a little support from the players around him.
Davis is injured once again and will be out for the next four weeks with a mid-foot sprain. Obviously, a struggling team like the Lakers doesn’t want to lose their second-best player, but if they can sneak into the playoffs and get him healthy, they’re still a team to be concerned about in the Western Conference.
The fact is that any team with a healthy LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook if he can figure things out, will be a team that no one wants to play in the playoffs out West.
If you tell the Phoenix Suns or Golden State Warriors that they’ll have to face LeBron James and the Lakers in the first round, no matter how bad they’ve been all year, they’re not going to be overjoyed with that matchup.
After the All-Star break, the Lakers will aim to turn their season around. That all starts with a game against the LA Clippers on Friday night. Only time will tell if the Lakers can get back on track in time for a playoff push.