The Los Angeles Lakers weren't widely considered a bona fide contender entering the 2026-27 season. While LA made some nice offseason moves to surround Luka Doncic with the right pieces, the general feeling was that LA was still, on paper, a tier below teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, and probably a calendar year away from legitimate championship conversations.
Now that we're 10 games into the campaign, a couple of things have changed. First of all, OKC has suffered three major injuries, altering the calculus of their contention forecast. Additionally, the Lakers have looked better than expected, and it's quickly becoming arguable that they'd still be contender-ish even in a fully healthy West (Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards is also set to miss multiple months).
"There's no reason they can't stand toe-to-toe with anyone else in the league, especially with the injuries that have [happened]," NBA analyst Raj Chipalu said this week on the Buha's Block podcast.
And while I'm as excited about the Lakers' current form as anyone, and over the moon about Luka Doncic's MVP-like play to begin the season, I'm still exercising caution here. I'm not ready to crown the Lakers true contenders quite yet, and that's because the NBA season is a marathon, not a 10-game sprint.
Lakers fans should exercise prudence when it comes to crowning LA a contender already
I'm not trying to be a downer here and say that we shouldn't believe that these Lakers can win a championship this season. I think that they have the best player in the world on their roster, so anything is possible.
But here's my take: The season is still young, and the Lakers will undoubtedly go through some injury trouble of their own between now and the end of the campaign. I'm not saying that Luka or Austin Reaves are going to miss multiple months again, but to assume that both players will play 75-plus games, or that LA won't suffer any tough injuries elsewhere on the depth chart, would be to ignore the brutal reality of the modern NBA. Injuries happen. Often.
To look over at OKC and use their injuries as a way to say, "the Lakers are closer to contention now!" isn't completely wise, nor is it an exercise in strong karma. The Thunder are a championship organization that will find a way to still contend, especially as long as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is healthy. Who knows -- maybe the other injuries will convince Thunder GM Sam Presti to act uncharacteristically aggressive at the trade deadline and bring in a huge talent?
If you're the Lakers, you need to assume that the road to the Finals will be as difficult as ever. The West is still loaded, even if an OKC or a Minnesota isn't at full strength. Have you seen what the Houston Rockets are doing to start the season?
Heaping contender status on these Lakers due to 10 games, or due to injuries elsewhere, isn't a fruitful or logical exercise. Let's see how at least 50 games play out. Let's hope for continued health for players thriving, and for a full recovery for those injured. And let's realize that no one's ever won an NBA Finals in November. We can do all of that while harboring a quiet belief that, yes, these Lakers can go the distance if they take things one day at a time.
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