After the NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers have no choice but to try to use existing players for a season-end sprint. Unfortunately, this lineup has proven to be less appropriate, as several key players can't find their own rhythm and position in the Lakers system, and they have had difficulties.
Last weekend, the Lakers did well in Golden State, but eventually lost to the Warriors. Nowadays, few people believe that they have the ability to become true champions. Even James' former teammate Richard Jefferson thinks so.
"They can play better, they can get better. They've been playing badly and I think everyone here can admit that. So will it get better? Yes, it can. Will they compete for the Western Conference championship or the championship with their current roster? The answer is still no.
I think, at best, if all goes well for this team, they could make it to the second round of the playoffs. But if they want to enter the playoffs by playing a playoff, they will have to face the Suns or warriors, and the Lakers have no chance of advancing. ”
On the one hand, the Lakers have James and Anthony Davis. Those two alone are enough to compete with the teams in the West. With the addition of Westbrook, Anthony and other supporting characters, it seems unwise to exclude them from the title race.
James and Thick Brow, on the other hand, are struggling to stay healthy, and the rest of the team has failed to be reliable contributors. The team's flaws are very obvious, and it seems that the squad itself is the problem. It's really unrealistic that they want to compete for the title.