LeBron James Says the Lakers Aren't Far Off From Title Contention. Is He Right?

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

There is tremendous frustration among Lakers fans about the inactivity in the offseason to this point. That much is clear.

But how much has that frustration colored the view of how good the team actually is?

The Lakers were a very, very un-fun squad last year. There was a poor vibe around the team for most of the year, and that sucked a lot of life out of things. There were injuries, there was Darvin Ham, and so on. But despite all of it, in the end the Lakers won 47 games, which isn't exactly trash, and there are many who believe that just with better coaching, they could have cracked 50. So if that's the case, is the same roster (subbing Dalton Knecht for Taurean Prince) gonna be trash next season?

No question, the Lakers aren't at the top of the West. No question, they'll need some luck in the injury department. But if they get those things, LeBron James may not be wrong when he says the team isn't that far off. They're not there yet, and even with some moves likely don't crack into the elite out West without more good luck.

But that's not a trash team, unless you define trash as anything less than a frontline title contender. What's the danger of the Lakers defining it that way?

Meanwhile, if you're frustrated at the state of things, you have a great way to make your voice heard. Will it matter? Probably not! But activism is activism.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: LeBron says the Lakers aren't that far off. Is he right?

SEGMENT 2: How vibes impact evaluation, and why the Lakers feel worse than they are, without being good enough to REALLY excite people.
SEGMENT 3: Sign the petition!

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