The Lakers aren’t a serious team. It’s time we stop pretending.
LeBron James has nothing else to prove in his NBA career. Nothing.
He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest ever to let his sneakers squeak up a court. Still being an All-Star starter (and captain) at his ripe age of 37 speaks to his longevity and all-time talent. Every game the future Hall of Famer plays from this point on is more icing on his career than a necessity to lock up his legacy. His legacy is set in stone and double-engraved. And at this rate — because he’s surpassed every other seemingly impossible expectation — LeBron might be the first person to be an All-Star starter when he’s 40.
The question is: Will that star play come for the Lakers? And if so, will those Lakers even be a title contender?
We’re going to lean toward a hard maybe, and almost definitely, no.
It doesn’t matter that LeBron can dunk on the league’s best player, sorry to say.
Because where LeBron has thrived with his usual versatile dominance this year (29 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per on 52 percent shooting), the Lakers have, instead, played like they have cement blocks attached to their ankles. The issue is that they haven’t sunk to the bottom of the Hudson River yet, making their descent all the more uncomfortable and traumatizing (or exciting, depending on your rooting interests).
Since the start of the New Year, L.A. has gone a mere 8-11 through 19 games. Mind you: This is on a team with LeBron, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, among others. Regardless of their collective old-man age (for professional sports, anyway; please don’t be angry with me), on paper, they should be better than 26-29.
They should be better than the ninth seed in the Western Conference.
They should be a title contender because, if anything, that is the baseline expectation of any LeBron James team. That is what LeBron does: Play for championships.
Before the season started, Tipico Sportsbook agreed that we should have high expectations for this Lakers squad. Emphasis on the past tense. After adding Westbrook and Anthony, the Lakers had the second-best preseason odds (+300) to win the NBA title, second only to the Nets (oops). Now, with their rampant struggles, L.A. has merely the eighth-best odds (+2000) to win the title, behind the Sixers, Jazz, Heat, Bucks, Warriors, Suns, and, still, Nets.
So that’s why, even with the Lakers winning the COVID-bubble title only 15 months ago, it’s time to abandon ship on this latest LeBron attempt at a championship. The Lakers are not a safe bet, and if they do play in June — regardless of LeBron being at the helm — it will be one of the most shocking runs in recent playoff memory.
But, hey, if you still disagree with that assessment, why not let LeBron tell you himself? He had, how do you say, some thoughts after a shellacking at the hands of the Bucks.
“Do I think we can get to the level where they are, right now?” said James, repeating a reporter’s question back to them. “No.”
The critical qualifier in that answer — which you know was intentional on James’ part given that it’s still February — was the “right now.” LeBron is a competitor and one of the best at that. He won’t punt on any season, no matter how bleak matters seem. But at a certain point, it might be time to cut your losses. It might be time to come to grips with reality and consider whether you’re being a bit too optimistic (delusional?) for a team that can barely stay afloat. At the same time, the battle-tested Suns and Warriors are lighting up the conference. Confidence will be the death of the finest among us.
LeBron still has faith, but the rest of us? It’s time to walk away and accept a burial of the Lakers.
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