LeBron James states that the remainder of the LA Lakers' regular season games are the most important ones in his career

LeBron James is currently in his 20th NBA season and has shown no signs of slowing down. The 38-year-old is averaging 30.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG and 7.0 APG for the Purple and Gold. Despite his brilliance, the seventeen-time champions have not looked good and are placed thirteenth in the West with a 27-32 record. Considering the competition that has come into the West after the trade deadline, things will get extremely tough for the Lakers if they do not play consistently post the All-Star break.

The LeBron James-led side could be looking at another season without a postseason if they fail to yield positive results. However, the four-time NBA champion is focused on the task at hand and is locked in on helping the Purple and Gold reach the playoffs this season. Speaking about the importance of the remaining 23 games left in the Lakers season, James said:

“23 of the most important games of my career, for a regular season,”

LeBron James was left disappointed after the Lakers’ failure to make the playoffs last season. The team made some huge changes at the trade deadline as they let go of Russell Westbrook in a three-team trade and brought in D’Angelo Russell. Alongside D’Lo, the Lakers also roped in Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba, who are all kinds of players that will help the team massively in the future.

LeBron James is one of the best playoff performers in the NBA. On many occasions, he has led the way from the front for his franchise when his team is in the playoffs. The 38-year-old feels that he can similarly help the Lakers achieve success in the playoffs.

“I’ve always been confident on any club that I’ve been on once we got to the playoffs, that we can compete with anyone and I feel no different now. With the roster that we have right now, we can finish off the regular season on the right foot and we compete against anyone in the Western Conference and the whole league, but it’s going to take a lot of commitment, which is okay,” said LeBron during the NBA All-Star game media availability.

Can the LA Lakers make a deep playoff run?

The LA Lakers have been one of the most inconsistent NBA teams this season. They have the talent that is required to win, but some glaring issues in their game are the lack of three-point shooting options and defensive solidity. Many believe that the moves the team made ahead of the trade deadline have helped them get rid of those issues and the team is now in a position to make a push for a deep playoff run.

The Western Conference now has the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, which makes the competition a lot harder for the other teams. The Lakers did show up in their last game before the All-Star break against the New Orleans Pelicans. If they are to continue playing like that, things could turn around for them in the remaining 23 games. Despite the additions, it is difficult to make them the favourites in the West. But with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, they are expected to make a lot of noise in the playoffs, if they make it to that stage.

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