This season, the Overall Performance of the Lakers has been disappointing. With only 1 month left before the end of the regular season, the Lakers have only achieved a 28-37 record, ranking 9th in the West and seven wins away from the 8th-ranked Clippers. It is almost certain that the Lakers will have to fight through the playoffs if they want to enter the playoffs.
The Lakers' opponent in the playoffs has long been clear, that is, the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans now have a record of 27 wins and 39 losses, closely following the Lakers. The Blazers and Spurs behind them are all 25 wins, and it is not easy to catch up. After the All-Star Game, the Pelicans won a four-game winning streak and showed great fighting power. But in the recent game, Yingge and CJ have missed the game, and the Pelicans have suffered a wave of 3 consecutive losses, failing to seize the opportunity to overtake the Lakers.
However, the pelicans' strength should not be underestimated, and they still have a chance to overtake the Lakers in the regular season and beat the Lakers in the playoffs. First of all, Ingram's injury is not serious and he can return next week. CJ McCollum triggers a health and safety protocol and generally returns after a 2-3 break. The Pelicans led by The Warblers and CJ just won at home for the Lakers not long ago, and they are not afraid of the Lakers at all.
In addition to this, the Pelicans will also have a major reinforcement at the end of the season, and All-Star Zion has returned to the training ground. In the player training photos posted by the Pelicans officer, we saw Zion's long-lost figure. It seems that Zion's figure is maintained well. According to Bill Simmons, Zion recently lost 24 pounds, or about 10.9 kilograms.
Zion has returned to the team to start training, and it looks like it is close to the day of his comeback. At the end of the season, if Zion can make a smooth comeback, the Pelicans' paper strength will be greatly improved. Think about the picture of Yingge, Zion and CJ playing at the same time, it is exciting to think about. In the playoffs, the elderly Lakers met the young Pelicans, and they really had no certainty of winning.