The Los Angeles Lakers weren’t considered legit contenders for the better part of the season.
Darvin Ham’s tenure didn’t get off to a good start, and some wondered whether firing Frank Vogel had been the right choice.
Other fans urged the team to just give up on the season and tank if they didn’t intend to blow up the roster, but Rob Pelinka gave us a masterclass of asset management before the NBA trade deadline.
The Lakers have been one of the most steady teams in the league ever since, even despite all the injuries and players going in and out of the lineup.
So, now that they’re mostly healthy and peaking at the right time, former NBA champion Richard Jefferson likes their chances of pulling off several upsets in the playoffs.
.@Rjeff24 describes how DANGEROUS the Lakers look 😳 pic.twitter.com/DsZdXUlXoJ
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 3, 2023
The Lakers are above .500 for the first time in months, and they could even finish the season as high as fifth in the Western Conference.
That’s a lot for a team that struggled to even reach a spot in the play-in tournament for the better part of the campaign, especially considering how much time LeBron James missed since the All-Star break.
Of course, the Lakers still need to win their final four games of the season to clinch the fifth spot, and having to face the Phoenix Suns in the first round isn’t much of a reward.
But this team feels great about themselves right now, and you have to like their chances against anybody in a seven-game series.
NEXT: Skip Bayless Makes His Thoughts Clear About Rob Pelinka