Luka and LeBron hit their stride as a duo
We've yet to see Luka Doncic completely unleashed next to LeBron James but there's reason to believe that this is a duo that could wreak havoc on the Western Conference when they hit their stride. When that will happen remains to be seen and I'm not sure there are many that believe it will happen before the end of this season. If you asked most Lakers fans, they'd probably say there's a better chance of Luka and LeBron hitting their stride together next season compared to this year. Nevertheless, I'm going to make a bold prediction for the Lakers heading into the final stretch run before the playoffs.
I predict that LeBron and Luka are going to hit their stride down the stretch and they're going to push the Lakers toward a top-3 seed in the Western Conference standings. Aside from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, it's difficult to be confident about any other team in the West. That's why I believe the Lakers could make a somewhat surprising move up the standings before the end of the season. With Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura playing good basketball, this team could have just a strong enough supporting cast to make some noise in the playoffs.
I won't say that the Lakers are going to make a conference finals run but there's a very realistic scenario in which this team emerges as a team that no one will want to face in a seven-game series. In the playoffs, it's rare when talent doesn't win out. When the Lakers step on the floor, they're probably going to have two of the three best players in the series on every night. That's going to make them a dangerous threat.
The Lakers will need to be healthy in order to hit their ceiling this season. But if they can remain healthy, this is a team that no one should be overlooking in the Western Conference. As long as Luka and LeBron are playing at a high level, the Lakers are going to have a shot to beat any team on any given night. That's what's going to make this team extremely dangerous heading into the NBA Playoffs. And if they can land a top 3 seed, and avoid the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, perhaps the Lakers do have a deep run in them.