The Los Angeles Lakers have been placed under a microscope since Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries on April 2nd against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With two of LA's star-studded trio sidelined, everyone else has been jolted into new, more demanding roles as the regular season comes to a close. That doesn't just go for the role players, but also LeBron James.
James has been the first option for most of his career. This year, he finally scaled back and found comfort in playing second and even sometimes third fiddle to Doncic and Reaves.
It took a couple of games, but Friday night's 101-73 win against the Phoenix Suns felt like the breakthrough LeBron and the Lakers need with the postseason ever so close. The King finished the game as a plus-27, had 28 points, six rebounds, 12 assists, and four steals. He also shot 10-for-16 from the field and went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in 32 minutes of action.
Outside of LeBron, Luke Kennard was LA's second-leading scorer, dropping 19 points in the win, and following the win, he issued a warning to the rest of the Western Conference.
"We also have [LeBron] and the way he's been playing, leading us, has been incredible. ... We're playing well together and it's been fun. I think no matter who we play, we're gonna be ready to fight from day one, Game 1. They gotta come here first, no matter who it is."
Lakers proved against the Suns they can't be written off this postseason
When Luka and Reaves went down, many analysts closed the door on LA being real contenders in this year's playoffs. However, the Lakers' domination over the Suns, the return of Marcus Smart, and the development of this group's chemistry as they get more reps in their new roles show the opposite.
LeBron is in that playoff mode.
The energy, intensity, and leadership are all there. Although the Lakers would obviously be stronger with Luka or Reaves in the lineup, they can survive a series without them.
This could very well be LeBron's last chance to really pursue a championship. If LA is going to chase that goal and make it happen, carrying the Lakers through one round is likely the cost of doing so.
This Lakers group has to approach the playoffs like there's only one round. They need to put everything on the line and fight to survive so they can reach a place where they'll be back at full strength for round two.
The playoffs are all about preparation and execution. Kennard's post-game message following Friday's win over Phoenix has let the NBA world know LA will be nothing short of prepared.