Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons they will make the playoffs this year

1. LeBron’s pride and legacy are on the line

It’s just about that time of year again – where every game, every quarter and every possession is so significant because it could mean the difference between a successful season and one that leaves an empty space or skimpy entry on your resume.

LeBron is probably the most prideful player in NBA history, and maybe the most prideful athlete since Muhammad Ali. Any athlete, or for that matter, entrepreneur, musician, actor, author or politician, who is serious about living intentionally and maximizing their talent does what they do so that they can be left with a feeling of satisfaction about their legacy.

If the Lakers miss the playoffs this year, then, barring another major injury, the media will probably make excuses for LeBron and his legacy, as they usually seem to do. But years from now when emotions have faded and one is simply left with cold hard stats and facts, LeBron failing to lead a Lakers team that has more talent than last year’s Cavaliers will reflect badly on his legacy.

He already has too many failed opportunities to speak of. He has lost six times in the NBA finals. He has also had other empty finishes, such as his loss to Orlando in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals or his loss to Boston in the second round of the 2010 playoffs where he didn’t show up in Game 5. Both of those years his Cavaliers had the best record in the league and were favored by many to reach the championship series.

(By the way, isn’t it cruel that the basketball gods didn’t deliver us at least one championship series that pitted LeBron vs Kobe in a fair fight? 2009 was supposed to be the year it happened once Boston’s Kevin Garnett was shut down for the playoffs. But even though Nike tried to will it into existence with those awesome Kobe-LeBron puppet commercials, it didn’t happen.)

If LeBron wills the Lakers to the playoffs and they avoid Golden State in the first round, they should have some kind of real chance of getting to the conference finals and facing the champs. After all, they’ll be on a roll in that scenario, and they’d have the best player on the court against any other team.

Trust me, many years from now when LeBron is enjoying some scotch or whiskey by himself on a quiet Sunday night and is reflecting back on his career, I really doubt he’ll want to reflect on a 2018-19 season where he not only didn’t reach the NBA finals but missed the playoffs altogether.

Now is the time for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. These next 25 games will be their playoffs. Nothing is assured, but we have plenty of reason to be cautiously optimistic.