The Los Angeles Lakers have had an uneven regular season. They have looked promising at times and uninspiring at other junctures.
They are 27-32 and 13th in the Western Conference, which has led some fans to think they’re all but out of contention for a playoff spot. However, the team is just two games behind the 10th-place Oklahoma City Thunder and 3.5 games behind the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks.
With a number of games left against teams they need to leapfrog to finish in the top six or at least earn a play-in tournament spot, the Lakers are still very much in the mix, especially with their new additions.
On Sunday, LeBron James said his team’s 23 remaining games are the most important regular-season games of his career. He also said he will “figure out ways to make sure” he will play in all of those contests (h/t Lakers Daily).
LeBron James says the last 23 games of this Lakers season are the most important regular season games of his career. pic.twitter.com/5yqILgSjY3
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) February 19, 2023
With a deeper, younger, more athletic and more balanced roster, the Lakers have the potential to not only reach the postseason but to also make some noise there and perhaps pull off at least one upset.