The one thing no Lakers hater wants to admit could deliver them a championship

Teams can only play the games in front of them, and the Los Angeles Lakers path to the NBA Finals may be a topic of discussion for both doubters and haters for this very reason.

Thus far, the Lakers are 46-29 and fourth in the Western Conference standings. If the season were to end today, they would face the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. If they were to theoretically pass the Denver Nuggets and attain the West's third seed, they would likely play either the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, or Minnesota Timberwolves.

There is a world where LA would have to play Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in the opening round of the postseason, and win in spite of their lack of a dominant center. But, the other possible scenarios would grant them a situation where the combination of Luka Doncic and LeBron James can overpower a weaker opponent.

The Los Angeles Lakers have what it takes to win a championship this season.

Memphis is currently in a transitional period. They fired head coach Taylor Jenkins. They are fourth in Net Rating and boast talents like Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane.

But, they have struggled to establish themselves as a team that is ready to win a title this season. Prior to the move, they only were 11-20 against teams that are above .500. It would be shocking to see them truly challenge the Lakers, whose two main stars already have NBA Finals experience.

The Warriors, Timberwolves, and Clippers may have more continuity and playoff experience than Memphis, but these teams will have to face questions regarding durability and firepower. Older All-Stars like Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden would have to stay healthy.

Of course, these players have proven they can perform during the playoffs. But it is an entirely different conversation when considering if they can take out James and Doncic.

Further, these teams may not have a defensive answer for the Lakers, or the paint play to truly out-wit them. While Rudy Gobert and Ivica Zubac are talented big men, they do not possess the same abilities that could make Jokic a headache for Jaxson Hayes or whoever else would be tasked with guarding him.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but barring a potential first round matchup with the Nuggets, LA's path may not be unreasonable. If they could jump into the second seed, the Lakers might even be able to avoid the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder until a potential Western Conference Finals matchup.

Love them or hate them, the group from La La Land have a good chance of getting through the Western Conference gauntlet.