#5: Another year of an elite LeBron James
The first thing that the Lakers have on their wish list this year is to have LeBron James playing at an elite level this season. It is very certain that we will be seeing LeBron performing at the spectacular level that we have come accustomed to, however, it is not a guarantee.
LeBron is currently 35 years old but will be 36 by the time the season concludes. Along with this, this is remarkably his 18th season in the NBA. When taking into account the minutes he has played and the miles he has totaled on his body during this time, it is amazing that LeBron is still even in the league let alone one of the best in the game.
LeBron is still the best player on the Lakers and the teams’ leader both on and off of the court. Whenever he is having an off night or playing below the astronomically high standards set for him, the Lakers typically do not perform well.
It is crucial that he still plays at the level we saw him at last season for the Lakers to have the same level of success they saw in the 2019-2020 season.
It has been rumored that James will be sitting out many games of the regular season due to the extremely short offseason the Lakers had. Even without James, the Lakers will be able to maintain a top-four seed in a loaded Western Conference.
It is in the playoffs especially when the Lakers will need James to play a level that has never been asked of a 36-year-old in their 18th year in the league.