3 Reasons the Los Angeles Lakers are still contenders

The Los Angeles Lakers are continuing to find ways to lower the bar on just how badly their season can go. Whether it is losing to the worst teams in the league or Russell Westbrook continuing to refuse to accept responsibility for his poor play this season hasn’t gone anywhere close to plan.

Last season the LeBron James-led Lakers could fall back on the fact they weren’t healthy when the playoffs rolled around. The season before they were champions a special team in the bubble finally brought back a championship to a Lakers team that had been without success for far too long.

Heading into the season the expectations were simple, to win their second championship in three seasons. A lofty goal but when you have LeBron on your team it has championship or bust regardless of who is around him.

Instead, the Los Angeles Lakers are sitting nine games under .500 and clinging to playoff life with the 9th seed in the West

Things for the LeBron-led Lakers have never looked darker, in the three years that the Lakers have been in contention mode with LeBron things have never gotten this bad. The Lakers are clinging to hope of a play-in spot and the chances of them clawing their way inside the top-8 in the west are slim at best.

Anthony Davis is still lost to injury and what weapons can the Lakers count on to step up around LeBron? Things have never been darker and yet there is still reason to think that this team will have a chance come playoff time. A chance to surprise the league and push themselves back into contention. Three reasons, in particular, stick out and should be more than enough to convince Lakers fans this team still has a chance.