LeBron James finds himself in a very unusual place — on the outside looking in at a playoff berth.
James’ streak as an annual presence in the NBA Finals was bound to end when he signed with the Lakers last summer. He realized at the time he’d need at least one more superstar to make the storied franchise the Best of the West again. But there was a general sense that any team led by James would at least reach the postseason.
James told reporters after returning from the All-Star break that he’ll go all out to prevent the embarrassment of missing the playoffs.
“It’s been activated,” James said of his playoff mindset. “My level of intensity has to be [high], unfortunately for me, because I don’t like to do it at such an early time. But it’s been activated.”
The Lakers returned to the .500 mark with a comeback victory over the Rockets on Thursday night but they have plenty of work to do to secure a playoff berth. They currently have the 10th-best record in the West and trail the Clippers by 2 1/2 games for the final spot.
The Jazz and Spurs are just one game ahead of the Clippers.
The Lakers will also have to leapfrog the young and much improved Kings, who hold a one-game edge. The Clippers’ decision to trade away leading scorer and impending free agent Tobias Harris helps the Lakers. But the way super sixth man Lou Williams is playing, coupled with some impressive young talent, the Clippers aren’t guaranteed to fade away.
The internal turmoil caused by the Lakers’ quest to secure Anthony Davis before the trade deadline made for some uneasiness in the locker room. Many of their young players must wonder how long they’ll last in L.A.
Yet if James doesn’t have any setbacks from the groin injury that cost him over a month of action, there’s reason for optimism that the Lakers will move into the top eight in the West.
That leads us to our question of the day: Will the Lakers make the playoffs? If so, will they wind up with the No. 8 seed or finish higher than that?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.