Ever since LeBron James’ injury, the Lakers have lost three games in a row, which includes the loss against the Hawks. They are 28-16 now, and their distance from the top two WC teams is alarmingly increasing. 

Another cause of worry for the Lakers is the steep rise of the teams like Denver Nuggets and the Trail Blazers. So it is high time the Lakers’ second unit starts delivering or they might slip out of the top four in the weeks to come. 

How do celebrated NBA analysts see this precarious situation?

Lakers and the very arduous next month

In a recent interview, the former Lakers legend Magic Johnson raised some real doubts about the team’s performance. The concerned 61-YO expressed, “It’s gonna be tough because we got a tough schedule in the West… The problem is you’re taking off both of our, not only best two superstars, but best two scorers. And they also are best two creators for getting shots for other guys, so that becomes an issue for the team.” 

Before injuring his Achilles, Anthony Davis was averaging 22.5 points and 8.4 rebounds. On the other hand, LeBron James was adding another 25.4 points at 51.3% from the field. So this will be like losing at least half the points with both staying out of the court. In addition to this, AD’s absence leads to a weak defense while Bron’s absence leads to a void for a floor general.

Can the Lakers’ second-team lift themselves up? Sir Magic highly this as he further said, “They will play hard, coach Vogel is a great coach, the guy will come out and compete, but the problem, West is just so good. We saw that the other night against Phoenix. The Lakers just didn’t have enough firepower to beat them, and that’s gonna be our issue until AD and LeBron come back.”

Read also – Is the Lakers’ Season Over After LeBron James’ & Anthony Davis’ Injuries?

LeBron James out of the MVP conversation?

It seems as if the Hawks bring misfortune for James, and he even had a war of words with a fan in their last outing with the Hawks. King James played 41 games before clashing with Hawks’ Solomon Hill and injuring his right ankle in their latest game. The 36-YO vet was averaging 33.9 minutes per game and near-MVP figures before he got sidelined for at least a month. That would mean him missing somewhere between 16-20 games.

To keep his case alive, Magic Johnson appealed to the league, and suggested, “I hope that they don’t penalize LeBron in terms of the MVP, the same thing I don’t hope they do for Joel Embiid. These two players have been dominant all season.”

In the next fortnight, the Lakers will face the likes of the 76ers, Bucks, and Clippers among others. If they could not defeat the Pelicans, what are the odds they can save themselves from a losing streak?