After the introduction of Westbrook last summer, the Lakers were once considered the title favorites this season, but in fact, so far they have only achieved a record of 27 wins and 31 losses, ranking ninth in the West. With just over 20 games left in the regular season, what are the Lakers' prospects for the title?
Today, stephen A. Smith, a well-known American journalist, said bluntly on his show that he was not optimistic about the current Lakers team, talking about their prospects in the playoffs, he said that the Lakers passed the playoffs at most and then were eliminated in the first round because he did not see them defeat those powerful opponents.
"Their ceiling is the first round out. It's ridiculous that we didn't see them beat the Warriors, beat Phoenix, beat Memphis, didn't beat Utah, they even had trouble facing Dallas in difficult times, and of course, we shouldn't ignore the Denver Nuggets... Listen, they do have James, they have Westbrook, but for their prospects, I can only see through the playoffs and then out in the first round. Smith said.
In the eyes of many Lakers supporters, Smith is obviously a bit of a bearish on the Lakers, but the reality may be more brutal than Smith said. The Lakers currently have as many as 6.5 wins away from the Nuggets, who are sixth in the West, and with just over 20 games left, they want to close that gap, which means they are almost certain to play the playoffs.
Even if we get through the play-offs, we don't consider how strong the teams in the first half they need to face are, just look at the problems within their team and make people's scalps tingle - Westbrook can't find the form, the thick eyebrow brother frequently suffers injuries, James is trapped in the rumors of leaving the team, and in the second team, although they have those familiar names, Anthony, Nunn, Howard, Jordan Jr., Ariza, etc., so far, they still have not produced the desired chemical reaction.
So the question is, as a fan, how far do you think the Lakers can go this season? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area to interact and give your insights!