14. Los Angeles Lakers
The best player on the planet missing out on the playoffs for the first time since his second season in the league? This is a bold prediction for some but if you look at the teams that need to miss out on the playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers to rejoin the ranks, it isn’t that outrageous.
The players Los Angeles has surrounded LeBron James with just don’t seem to fit with his style of play. LerBon is a ball dominant player, for good reason, he is ultra efficient and an amazing playmaker. The offense seems to flow best when he is surrounded by 3-point threats, 3-and-D ideally, although the Cavaliers mostly forgot about the “D” aspect in recent years.
The Lakers though, have gone in the opposite direction. Instead of surrounding James with shooters they have surrounded him with more playmakers, they are somewhat defensive-minded playmakers at least. Rajon Rondo, Lonzo Ball, and LeBron all need the ball in their hands to maximize their effectiveness.
The same was said about James Harden and Chris Paul, but they both have elite 3-point shooting to open the floor up for each other, not to mention the other threats from deep on the roster. Los Angeles will not have a single player who shot above 40 percent last season.
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This will not be a team LeBron is used to leading, he will have to alter his style of play unless he wants to watch countless 3-pointers clank off the rim. His greatness could still lead a team into the playoffs, but considering the competition he has to face, the Lakers are very much not a lock. Did I mention how tough the Western Conference is?