The Los Angeles Lakers dropped down to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and will now take on the Houston Rockets. But with all of the chemistry issues that have seemingly popped up in Houston over the course of the season, this first-round matchup might be LeBron James’ latest chance to cement his Lakers legacy.
If the Lakers want a chance to make a run in the NBA Playoffs, they need to get through the first round and hope that Luka Doncic can make it back for Round 2. And in order to do that, James needs to turn back the clock and deliver a vintage postseason performance for LA.
And the Rockets are the perfect team to do it against.
LeBron's Lakers can beat this Rockets team
Throughout the course of the season, things have seemed off in Houston. Compared to a bunch of the other teams around the league, and especially in the West, the Rockets just don’t seem to mesh super well.
Multiple national media members have pointed it out, from Bill Simmons to Kendrick Perkins (yes, the two most reliable sources). But it’s been more than that. It’s been visible.
Obviously, the most front-and-center example was when Kevin Durant’s supposed burner Twitter account got leaked, revealing a bunch of questionable messages he sent.
Though nothing was ever confirmed, everything certainly seemed suspicious. Durant was trash-talking Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and so many more people.
Just watching the way the Rockets act on the bench and in general raises some red flags. And Durant has even noted that the drama about his rumored burner account could be hurting team chemistry.
That’s where the Lakers come in.
Things haven’t been perfect in LA this year. They’ve had their fair share of drama and potential issues. But compared to the Rockets, they’re doing just fine.
Plus, with Doncic and Austin Reaves potentially out for the first round, the Lakers will be depending on a bunch of young guys to step up into larger roles. And that could sneakily be a good thing.
LA’s young guys will have to play hard and give 100% on the court at all times. When going up against a Rockets team that may not be gelling super well, that could be an advantage for the Lakers.
Plus, with James at the helm, anything can happen. This could be his best chance to show Lakers fans that he’s still got it when it matters most.
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