Story to Follow After All-Star Break: LeBron James and His Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers went through a massive roster overhaul during the 0ff-season and signed 11 players. They were touted as the championship contenders ahead of the season. However, despite landing stars such as Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk, among others, they are not even in the top eight so far. LeBron James is in the twilight of his career and has a massive burden of carrying the Lakers this season.

LeBron James

Despite a 12-year high of 29.1 points per game from 37-year-old LeBron James, the Lakers remain the league’s highest-rated soap opera, with a ninth-place Western Conference record of 27-31 entering the break. Russell Westbrook, their biggest summer addition, is frequently benched late in games.

And Anthony Davis, the team’s other star, is slated to miss at least a month due to a foot ailment. Carmelo Anthony‘s last opportunity at a coveted title appears to be fading in Los Angeles.

LeBron James with extra burden post-All-Star break for the Lakers

LeBron James, who is 37 years old, is having one of the greatest seasons in his 18-year NBA career. In 41 games this season, the Los Angeles Lakers star has averaged 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. After a sluggish start and an abdominal ailment that kept him out for eight games, James has turned into an MVP candidate.

LeBron James

 

Despite this, his Lakers are 27-31 on the season, including 3-7 in their past ten games. They started the season as title contenders and are 15 months removed from winning an NBA championship. They are now tenth in the Western Conference rankings, and if the season ended today, they would be solidly in the play-in bracket.

Can the Lakers make it to the playoffs this season?

Despite concerns about their age and durability, a dark shadow hung over Westbrook’s ability to work together in the chase of a championship. The squad agreed that if they could remain healthy, they may be in a good position to win.

Is it possible for the Lakers to miss the playoffs this season? Given all that happened in 2021-22, it’s not impossible. However, with 57 games remaining in the season, the Lakers’ chances of winning the NBA title appear to be dwindling. For the first time in coach Frank Vogel’s tenure, they are five games below.500.

Los Angeles Lakers

While the Lakers are still 3.0 games ahead of the 10th-seeded Trail Blazers, they are as close to missing the playoffs as they are to falling out of play in contention. The Pelicans (3.5 games back of the 10th seed) are also vying for one of the play-in positions.

This season seems to be another play in tournament battle for the purple and gold, but to be honest, even if they stay healthy, the Lakers may struggle to hold on to a playoff place if they continue to play as they have.