As much pleasure as the internet has gotten from dunking on the Lakers' misfortunes over the last two seasons, now might be the time to start shifting the types of conversations being had about what's going on in Los Angeles.
It's important to lead with the disclaimer that I'm well aware that the Lakers haven't been above .500 in over a calendar year. And more specific to this season, LA was one Matt Ryan miracle away from losing 11 of its first 12 games. With that in mind, the Lakers' gradual improvement since a 2-10 start to the year has them in a position to get back to the winning standard of Lakerland.
Yes, LeBron James and the Lakers deserve your attention — and your respect — as a team that could make noise in the postseason.
SIGN UP TO WATCH EVERY GAME ON NBA LEAGUE PASS: U.S. and U.K. | All other countries
Why LeBron James, Lakers deserve more respect in West's playoff race
The answer starts with the second and third words in the above sentence.
LeBron James.
There isn't much to be said about James that hasn't been said before, but in his 20th season, he is finding a way to exceed some of the loftiest expectations that were placed upon him. Despite early-season injury woes and shooting at a career-low mark from beyond the arc, James is averaging 29.8 points to go along with 8.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists per contest this season.
And as for Father Time, James has been even more focused since saying "hi" to age 38, posting averages of 35.1 points (on 53.0 percent shooting), 9.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists in the first 10 games since celebrating his birthday on Dec. 30.
As The Sporting News' NBA player rankings from December indicated, James is still a top-10 player in this league. History supports the notion that when there's a top-10 player involved, their team always has a chance to win. That fact bodes well for LA, which will have its fair share of must-win situations on the realistic path to playoff relevance.
A healthy James is capable of giving the Lakers a chance, but he can't do it alone.
MORE: Projecting when LeBron will pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on all-time scoring list
Anthony Davis is coming
After going down with a foot injury in mid-December, Davis is inching closer to a highly anticipated return to the lineup. Should Davis return to the level of dominance he displayed prior to the injury, he and James would be playing at a level that rivals their performance at the 2020 NBA Restart, which, as we know, ended with an NBA title.
Here's a reminder of the dominance Davis showed prior to going down, evidenced by his stats in the last five full games he played:
- Dec. 2: 44 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks vs. Milwaukee
- Dec. 4: 55 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks vs. Washington
- Dec. 9: 31 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks vs. Philadelphia
- Dec. 11: 34 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists vs. Detroit
- Dec. 13: 37 points, 12 rebounds, three assists vs. Boston
Good as James has been, let those numbers serve as a reminder that Davis had legitimately overtaken his superstar counterpart as LA's No. 1 option.
While it's obvious that Davis' presence alone will make the Lakers a better team, his offensive responsibilities will lighten the load on James which will pay dividends during the season's stretch run.
In those must-win moments, James will be much fresher than he would be if he were to continue carrying the heavy workload that he's currently managing. If Davis returns to the level that he was at pre-injury, that's two top-10 talents on one roster. How many teams in the NBA can currently say that?
MORE: How the Lakers unlocked the best version of Anthony Davis
The Lakers are scrappy
Outside of its superstar duo, LA has the feel of one of those scrappy playoff teams that's fun to watch and can be a pain for a higher seed. The difference here, of course, is that the scrappy bunch follows the lead of a superstar duo. Most lower seeds don't have that.
As for the group itself, it's best to begin by focusing on the guard trio of Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder and legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate Russell Westbrook. Each of the three has been a part of similar groups in different stages of their respective careers — Westbrook in Oklahoma City in 2017, Schroder in Oklahoma City in 2020, and Beverley in various stops, the most recent being Minnesota last year.
With those three veterans leading the way, the rest of the group falls in line to star in their roles.
The Lakers have a number of players capable of contributing, but the most impactful contributors deserving of a mention are Thomas Bryant, Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV, the latter two of whom have missed significant time due to injury.
Bryant, in his second stint with LA, has embraced the role as an energetic big with joy for the game, Reaves is guaranteed to make cerebral plays thanks to his chemistry with the stars and Walker is earning himself quite the contract with his contributions as the team's fourth-leading scorer.
Add in the recently acquired Rui Hachimura and the Lakers, as currently constructed, have a nine-man rotation consisting of two superstars, three scrappy veteran guards and four young talents.
That's not a bad winning formula.
MORE: Grading the Lakers move to acquire Hachimura | Why Hachimura is a perfect fit on Lakers next to LeBron, AD
The West is open
Past the midway point in the season, the Western Conference consists of three tiers:
- Nuggets and Grizzlies
- Seeds 3 through 13
- Spurs and Rockets
As one of the 11 teams in the jumbled middle of the conference, the Lakers are well within reach of a top-six seed and could realistically set their sights even higher.
The wide-open West is a product of a number of teams battling injuries just as much as it is a reflection of the glaring flaws present on nearly every team's roster. And while the Lakers aren't exempt from the conversation of flawed rosters (they still need more shooting!), a superstar duo of James and Davis will often be enough to overcompensate for any flaws.
And while we should have learned our lesson from crowning last year's Nets as the best seventh seed ever, there won't be any teams chomping at the bit to face James and Davis in any playoff series, let alone as a higher seed in the first round.
With the amount of time remaining in this season and the parity in the West, the Lakers just might end up with a top-four seed anyway.
