You guys remember when r/lakers kept demanding LeBron to be shipped off to the moon?

No it’s definitely their defense, even their bench defense

People look at their bench points and think they need more bench points, no they need defense overall and from the bench, their defense improving has led them to this run

Look at how Marcus Smart playing well (even when shooting like shit too) makes their team so much better because he can actually defend

Bench has been playing well with Rui, Kennard, Laravia, and Hayes. None of them are perfect but they all contribute

No, it’s definitely their defense.

They’re currently ranked 20th out of 30 teams. Thats absolutely terrible considering half the teams worse than them are actively tanking.

When they get dogwalked in the first round people will say it’s their role players to take the heat off Luka and Bron, but their 3 best players are poor defenders and that will almost certainly be the main reason they lose.

Teams that are terrible defenses all regular season rarely become good in the playoffs.

Lakers need to play hard defense for 20+ game. Even if they do that, it’s a tough road.

Benches matter slightly less come playoffs though, I would say (maybe I’m wrong)

The playoffs only the starters matter. You’re playing starting 5 most of the game.

both are dogshit lmao marcus smart was called washed the last few years and now hes our best playable defender…

It’s the 4-15, it’s brutal

You have uttered the incantation, now Luka drops even further in the MVP rankings

Thanks magic

MVP

This is what Nico and the Adelsons did. How Mavs fans still support that team is beyond me. Dirk is the Mavs and they chased him out. All his support is behind Luka now.

Needed to glaze Austin a bit :(

They do his name is LeBron James Junior and he’s your favorite players favorite player

No way on earth the difference between the Lakers and OKC is just a Cason Wallace

If the lakers can stay on the opposite side of the bracket of OKC, they have a chance at the finals. It’s a slim chance cuz they’d have to beat the Spurs probably and then hope that someone upsets OKC (a team like Denver probably).

Lakers have no shot at beating OKC in the playoffs but I see reasonable ways for them to beat anybody else (I wouldn’t have the lakers favored over the Spurs or Denver but it wouldn’t be a no chance series like OKC would be).

They need a Cason Wallace and a better defensive center

Doesn’t matter. The Thunder are exportable come play off time.

They should have lost to the Pacers last year, and barely got by the Clippers and Nuggets who are both playing better ball now than they were last year.

And the Spurs absolutely have their number.

Luka is a better heliocentric player than SGA is - and a good reason why they made it in the finals over them too in 2024.

Playoffs are going to be interesting this year

In the playoffs there won’t be any non luka-Bron-AR minutes

I don’t get this take. In the playoffs you shorten the bench. Their ⁶⁄₇ guys are kennard and rui. That’s solid. Hayes as backup C…we’ll see. He got played off the floor last playoffs but he’s definitely improved.

Agreed. Bench matters so much during playoffs. Especially that 6-9 rotation. Lakers would find it difficult this time and would probably address that in the offseason

Do you have any clue how this stuff works? Why would there ever be a point those three guy are all on the bench at the same time?

Lakers have no bench. Lakers need no bench

They wouldn’t all be in the bench together at any point

bench, defense and athleticism

Their downfall is that they have 4 good players and they don’t even fit well together

I agree but I would say they are better than last year having an actual center in DA and also Smart has been really good. Luke Kennard hitting shots as well. They still lack bench depth but if we had a repeat of last year with the wolves i don’t see them losing 4-1. With this lineup they might take it to 7 games.

Whn defends tighten we know reaves starts to struggle and lebron doesnt have the motor any more

I’m biased but last year most of the Wolves games were extremely close and the Lakers had a tough overcrowded schedule to end the season due to the LA fires, I think that affected them.

Luka and LeBron both went into that series last year not near 100% healthy. Right now their opponents would be the Rockets, not a Timberwolves team that went like 17-4 after the All-Star Break and were likely the 2nd best team in the Conference.

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Well they don’t have to play dfs at center this year

Last season, they had no center

Good thing we have Marcus Smart starting and Ayton. Does that mean they win the West. No. But comparing the two season is stupid. Especially when Luka and LeBron are healthier than this time last season.

Edit: u/pufffsullivan what a puss

Luka was never right last year, they had no center, they didn’t have a defender like Smart, LeBron wasn’t healthy or fully accepting the third wheel dirty work role yet, Reaves wasn’t this good, their bench was way worse. Vanderbilt is still in the team and doesn’t play. He was insanely important for them last year.

And no one in the league is scoring like Luka is or has the shot creation and gravity, real mvp

I mean sure, but you guys almost lost to the Pacers. 

Yup. And Luka will be hunted and picked on just like he was when he faced Boston in the finals.

It’s true. Would be so happy to seem them in the second round instead of Denver or Minnesota.

Yeah but that’s a massive if

If the Lakers hit their open shots they are in every game even if they play nonexistent defense, they generate so may goof looks on anyone

What? Bro he played good his first playoff run in 2023 and in 2024 his only bad series was when he was injured in 2025 y’all are casuals i swear

Solid argument to be made that last season was his first bad series, but he put up 21/4/5 on 55%/56%/100% against Denver in ‘23.

He played through injury last year.

Casual. You don’t remember the grizzlies series?

Probably the same way Thunder fans cope with Nikola Topic.

Not sure how parents look after their kids there in OKC. But looks like yours dropped you on the head at one point.

Defense has been great since the all star break

Go check their defensive rating since the all star break, genius

You go away kid

he’s literally second in the league in 4th quarter quarter scoring

Yeah bro same exact team. Smart guy you are.

Wanna bet?