The Los Angeles Lakers ended their regular season campaign on a high. Following a 124-108 away win against the New Orleans Pelicans, the franchise is now set to face them again in the in-season tournament to kickstart their postseason. Amidst the anticipation, an infamous LeBron James critic, Skip Bayless, announced a massive claim about their potential upcoming postseason.
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Soon after the dominant display from the visitors, Bayless took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his thoughts. Praising the roster’s performance, the sports analyst outlined their hopes for the journey ahead. “The Lakers, in an important game, just looked like a team that for sure can win the West,” he publicly declared.
“The Lakers, in an important game, just looked like a team that for sure can win the West.”
The excitement spurred from the latest dominant display by the Lakers at Smoothie King Center. Against their conference rival, the franchise took a 17-point lead by the end of the first half, scoring 70 points in the process, as per NBA.com. On top of that, the visitors outperformed the hosts in points in the paint, second chance points, fastbreak points, steals, and field goal percentage as well.
This strong finish to the regular season excited Bayless, justifying his support for the team. After all, the franchise had reached the Western Conference Finals last season by triumphing in their in-season tournament. Consequently, the chances of a similar run remain a possibility at this stage. However, to eventually win the Conference Finals, the franchise needs more than just a moment of brilliance.
Can LeBron James provide the Lakers with what they will need?
LeBron James played a key role in the recent game to carve his team’s path to victory. From contributing on both ends of the floor to keeping the roster connected, the 39-year-old remained in the thick of all the action. His stats reflected precisely that as the 4x champion registered a triple-double of 28 points, 17 assists, and 11 rebounds, as per NBA.com.
Following the game’s conclusion, Bayless spent a moment to shed light on those endeavors. Applauding James’ game reading skills and ability to facilitate the plays, the analyst mentioned, “LeBron James is STILL the best passer in basketball — 13 assists in the first half at New Orleans. He can play bullyball, he can surgically remove your heart”.
Thus, the franchise relies heavily on the experience of James to fulfill its dream of winning the 18th championship. With a plethora of playoff experiences under his belt, the Akron-born possesses the ability to influence the game at will. Whether or not it results in anything fruitful in the coming days now remains the only area of concern.
