The Los Angeles Lakers have no room for error right now, and they know it.
They just have 21 games left in the regular season, and they’re currently sitting at the 13th spot in the Western Conference.
But they’re not that far off from the Play-in tournament, and looking at the current picture in the West, it wouldn’t be crazy to think that they could avoid that scenario and clinch a spot in the first-round right away.
That’s what Stephen A. Smith tends to think.
In a recent appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, the well-known talking head raved about the new-look Lakers, predicting they could go 15-6 to close out the season if they stay healthy and stating that they could even clinch the sixth seed as a ‘very dangerous’ team.
.@stephenasmith says the Lakers look "very, very dangerous" 😤
"The Lakers could get to the sixth-seed and they'll win a first-round series and get to the semifinals." pic.twitter.com/kezahb8MSy
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 27, 2023
Of course, having shooters and defenders next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis seems to be a perfect recipe for success, and we wouldn’t even be shocked if they manage to upset another team in the first round.
James has posted MVP-caliber numbers throughout the season, and there’s no denying Davis’ impact when he’s on the floor.
Once again, all questions hinging on the Lakers’ heads float around Anthony Davis’ availability, as it always seems like he’s a play away from missing a couple of weeks.
The Lakers can’t afford to have their second-best player sitting out at this point in the season, and any injury should be more than enough for them to at least revisit the possibility of moving on from him in the offseason.
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