The Los Angeles Lakers were not on many people’s lists of teams competing for the second seed in the West, but with a 17–6 record, they are sitting right behind the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The question now is whether this is just a hot start or if they are legitimate contenders. According to Reggie Miller, the purple and gold faithful might not like the answer.
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At the heart of the resurgence are Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, whose elite backcourt play has become one of the most dangerous in the league. Doncic is delivering near MVP caliber numbers night after night, while Reaves has exploded offensively, even scoring 51 in a game without Doncic. Together, their chemistry and scoring bursts have made the Lakers offense hum in a way few expected heading into the season. They have not even needed LeBron James, the GOAT, to be fully available or at his best yet.
It is a drastic improvement from a season ago, when the Lakers were still figuring out how to manage the LeBron, Reaves, and Doncic rotation. In fact, the leap has been so significant that it has caught some analysts by surprise.
“We didn’t think Luka and the Lakers would be this good. No one thought LeBron would be the third wheel on this team, which he is, and that’s a heck of a third wheel to have. Austin Reaves is playing like an All-Star in a contract year. I didn’t have the Lakers being this good,” admitted Miller, on the Dan Patrick Show.
The West was always going to be a slugfest this year, particularly in the top five spots. The Rockets beefed up with Kevin Durant, the Thunder brought back the same title-winning team from a year ago, and the Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic performing at an elite level. The Lakers were a team that could have easily slipped to seventh or eighth and stayed there for most of the season. But as the halfway point approaches, they look as dangerous as anyone.
That said, it is hard to sustain such elite play if you cannot stay healthy. This is what Miller is concerned about as well. “The question going forward, can they sustain it? Health will be a big issue in my opinion for the Lakers,” stated the Hall of Famer.
And he is not wrong. An injury to either Doncic or Reaves would leave this squad with a 41-year-old LeBron back at the helm, and based on LeBron’s more mortal-looking performances, that does not spell the same level of threat it once did in years past.
Still, if the Lakers can dodge the injury bug and keep their core intact, there is no reason to think this run is a fluke. The synergy between Doncic and Reaves has given them a legitimate identity, a team that plays fast, fearless, and fully bought in. LeBron settling into a complementary role has only amplified that rhythm, allowing the younger stars to take the reins while he picks his spots.
It is a good time to be on the Purple and Gold train. The future of the team has been solidified. The pieces are in place, and the magic that LeBron brings can still win them a title. But as always, we will just have to wait and see.
