With the postseason slowly setting in and analysts predicting the future of teams, LeBron James and the LA Lakers’ chances of a title are everyone’s favorite topic to discuss. Former teammate of King James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Iman Shumpert, believed that the Lakers did not have the gas to go past the second round.
Featuring on the Get Up by ESPN, the former NBA player stated that James might know that to expect a championship with the current team would be “delusional.” The former guard said:
“With the confidence that comes behind LeBron, he knows he needs a little delusion. If he’s eyeing a championship right now, it’s delusional, but it takes delusion to do anything great. So in respect to that, I think the ceiling is second round.”
Several analysts and former NBA players have written off the Lakers’ championship expectations this season, even though the team is running on a hot nine-game winning streak. Many believe that the scrambling team defense and heavy reliance on Luka Doncic’s offensive production might see the team being ousted in the first or second round.
Can LeBron James and Co. pass the postseason test?
With the amount of criticism from former NBA players like Paul Pierce and now Iman Shumpert, the LA Lakers will need to find something that the team did not possess in the entire regular season. Whether it’s their defensive abilities or bench efficiency, the team needs to add a surprise element to their postseason run.
In the winning stretch that the team is enjoying right now, the Lakers have won some games comfortably, while others in clutch moments. In the last win against the Orlando Magic, Luke Kennard, who is statistically the best three-point shooter this season, drained the clutch bucket to get the win for the team.
The Lakers will next meet the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons, in the next game. However, the absence of Cade Cunningham might put the Pistons on the back foot and give the Lakers a chance to win their tenth consecutive game.
READ MORE: LeBron James Winning Two More Rings Still Won’t Be Enough to Pass Michael Jordan, claims Paul Pierce
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