The Los Angeles Lakers’ seven consecutive wins have turned around their season as well as Stephen A Smith’s stance. The Lakers have now soared to third place in the Western Conference and are gradually emerging as a wildcard heading into the playoffs. Following their rise in form, the Lakers’ most vocal critic, Smith, seems to have finally changed his mind, shocking LeBron James fans.

“If it comes down to LeBron James, he’ll figure it out,” Smith said in the recent episode of ‘First Take’. “This is a man that has graduated from the point of looking at him during regular season games. You can’t look at him and go by what you see on any given night between the months of October and early April. He’s earned more than that. He knows what it takes to go deep into a playoff run. The man has been to 10 NBA Finals. He’s won four championships. He’s lost six, but he’s won four championships. He knows what he’s doing. And so to see him out there at times playing center, doing whatever it needs to be done in order to make the team go, to make that offense go, you just can’t say enough.”

LeBron has received a lot of praise for his recent change in playing style. This has allowed the backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to shine more, whereas the 41-year-old forward has helped Marcus Smart with defensive duties. He recently showed his hunger and courage when he dove head-first to gather a loose ball in the middle of the court against the Denver Nuggets in the final minute of regulation time. The game eventually rolled into overtime, and they eventually won.

Overall, James finished with 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting, falling just short of becoming the first player over 41 in NBA history to record a perfect 30-point game. Interestingly, he completed the first half with 100% shooting as he completed all eight of his attempts, draining a couple of three-pointers. He complemented Doncic really well, who finished with a game-high 40 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.

With the Lakers in sublime form, Smith believes that JJ Redick’s men are easily his pick against any other team other than the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the San Antonio Spurs in the West. “Of course, you don’t look at OKC and San Antonio and say, no, you’re usurping them, you’re eclipsing them. But anybody else in the Western Conference, are you going to definitively state that the Los Angeles Lakers absolutely cannot beat them? You cannot say that. And that’s why this is legitimate,” Smith shared.

Stephen A Smith has gone out of his way to criticize other analysts who have been extremely critical of the Lakers. Despite their recent surge in form, some analysts are not ready to call them contenders, citing another false peak of form. However, Smith is certain that the Lakers are one of the strongest teams in the West and can possibly make a deep playoff run.

Stephen A Smith shuts down Charles Barkley for unwarranted criticism of the Lakers

The last few years have not been great for the Los Angeles Lakers. They have had scapegoats in Russell Westbrook, Darvin Ham, or Frank Vogel for their last few failed campaigns. So, after seeing multiple false peaks in the last few seasons, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is not ready to accept the Purple and Gold as contenders for the Championship despite seeing their recent form.

“My worst nightmare is the Lakers winning tonight, and I have to listen to all the crap on Monday on all the talk shows about how the Lakers are contenders. Please, please don’t let them win,” Barkley said following their first win against the Rockets.

Hearing this, Stephen A Smith has provided a strong counterargument, highlighting improvement in the Lakers’ offense and defense in the recent string of games. He also pointed out their defensive intensity and efficiency from the three-point line. “Charles needs to calm down. Stop whining,” Stephen A. said. “You got a good job, you’re looking good, you’re feeling good, you’re getting ready to do the NCAA Tournament, you’re getting paid lovely, you’re chilling in Atlanta, and now you’re going to Dayton. Just relax, calm the brakes. A top-three seed in a conference is a contender. You know this.”

The Lakers are probably playing their best basketball during this seven-game winning streak. They are showing more cohesion in their offensive transitions, and more interestingly, everyone seems to be in sync with their respective roles. So Smith definitely has a point when he calls the Lakers a contender with the playoffs just around the corner.