Before the Los Angeles Lakers made numerous trades ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February, the 17-time champions were struggling, with injuries taking a toll and the team failing to build any chemistry.
Since the deadline, the moves made by the Lakers have turned out to be a stroke of genius by general manager Rob Pelinka, as the team has rallied around the MVP-caliber play of superstar forward Anthony Davis.
Los Angeles has turned a lot of heads and has some, like NBA analyst Channing Frye, picking the Lakers even if they face a juggernaut like Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns in the NBA playoffs.
Jamal: "If Phoenix and the Lakers meet, you got the Lakers beating Phoenix?"
Channing: "I do." @channingfrye thinks LA is the favorite in the West 👀 pic.twitter.com/rkPQBBVXxH
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 4, 2023
Although the Lakers do appear to be a different team now with a renewed sense of purpose, injuries have proven costly for the purple and gold, with either Davis, LeBron James or newcomer D’Angelo Russell consistently dealing with ailments.
If the Lakers can stay healthy, they’ll be a dangerous team as any come playoff time, but if injuries become a problem once again, it’s hard to bet on Los Angeles getting through a seven-game series.
Including tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz, the Lakers have four regular-season games to go before they know their fate in terms of playoff position and who they may face in the Play-in Tournament or the first round.
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for the Lakers moving forward, as Davis and company are one of the most intriguing storylines with the postseason in the NBA looming.
NEXT: Lebron James, Anthony Davis Have A Concerning Stat
