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What the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff starting five should be

By Jonathan Kiernan

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 15: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers great injured teammate Anthony Davis prior to the start of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on March 15, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 15: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers great injured teammate Anthony Davis prior to the start of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on March 15, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Los Angeles Lakers Small Forward: LeBron James

Don’t get it twisted, the Los Angeles Lakers playoff hopes lie heavily on LeBron James‘ shoulders.

Yes, Anthony Davis has a huge part to play in whether the purple and gold win or not but LeBron James when healthy and in attack mode is still the best player in the National Basketball Association.

LeBron has suffered the most from the lack of off-season. At 36 years of age, LeBron more than most needed that offseason rest.  He needed to simply rest his body, get treatments, decompress and focus on allowing his body to recover and prepare itself for another grind.

LeBron is such an expert on preparing his body that I firmly believe with the appropriate time off, he would have been able to avoid a number of the injuries that have plagued him this season.

The Lakers and LeBron himself have been right to sit LeBron with the injuries he has picked up. LeBron is such a competitor that he would more than likely play through them if he could but the Lakers know all too well what happens when you push your Superstar to the brink physically, case and point Kobe (RIP) tearing his Achilles against the Golden State Warriors.

MUST-READ: Remembering Kobe Bryant’s lone MVP award

Allow LeBron to rest up and heal and have him ready for a playoff run is what the focus clearly has been for the purple and gold. They seemingly felt comfortable enough with their standing in the Western conference that they could afford to allow LeBron James and Anthony Davis to rest.

They were wrong.

While they did make the right call, the rest of the team did not answer the bell and the Lakers have been on a slump.

If the Lakers do make the playoffs and LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy, then they should beat pretty much anyone.

LeBron must stay healthy for the Lakers to have any chance of winning the championship this year.

If he does stay healthy, he has the potential to destroy teams and his sheer presence on the floor gives each of his teammates infinitely better looks on the floor.

LeBron James is the key to the Lakers winning a record-breaking 18th NBA Championship.

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