"You can never count LeBron out" - Jason Kidd believes LeBron James and the Lakers can still turn things around
With just 20 games left in their season, LeBron James and the LA Lakers are on a four-game losing streak entering Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors. Since the All-Star break, the Lakers have lost to the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and the LA Clippers (twice).
The Athletic's Sam Amick recently asked former Lakers assistant head coach and current Mavericks head coach, Jason Kidd, if his former team can still have a successful season. Kidd did not count out James and the Lakers just yet, citing their partially successful run last season.
"Well, that’s the thing. You can never count LeBron out. And Frank. And so again, last year, we had injuries, we played in the Play-In game, found a way to win that. Found a way to take the lead in the Phoenix series, 2-1 and then AD goes down. And so again, as much as we talk about health, chemistry, this is Russ' first year here," Kidd said.
Another good night for Luka Doncic and his Mavs, who are now 22-7 with the league’s third-best net rating after starting the season 16-18. I talked with Jason Kidd about his squad, and his part in Dallas’ dominance, this week, at @TheAthletic
theathletic.com/3160892/2022/0…
LeBron James and the LA Lakers also experienced struggles last season, but it's undeniable that the current campaign is much worse. The Lakers finished in a play-in position last year, defeating the Warriors to earn the 7th seed.
The LA Lakers played the Phoenix Suns in the first round, even taking a 2-1 lead after a Game 3 win. However, Anthony Davis got hurt in Game 4, and the rest was history as the Lakers lost three straight games.
With the current regular season ending in less than six weeks, James and the LA Lakers are in danger of even missing the play-ins. They have the most difficult schedule in the NBA, playing just twice against teams not in the hunt for playoff and play-in spots.
LeBron James last year: "Whoever came up with the play-in tournament needs to be fired."
The Lakers are currently 9th in the West and have the hardest strength of schedule remaining. https://t.co/oUW4LYevbR
Can LeBron James and the LA Lakers turn it around?
As mentioned earlier, the Los Angeles Lakers have the hardest remaining schedule in the NBA. They face the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors two more times.
The LA Lakers will also have to battle playoff teams such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. The San Antonio Spurs are also no pushovers, while the OKC Thunder have beaten the Lakers twice already this season.
The only "easy" opponent would be the Houston Rockets, as the LA Lakers are 3-0 against them this season. However, with the way they are playing, the Rockets are no longer pushovers despite their record.