How the mighty have fallen. Once the fortress of Los Angeles where opposition teams used to worry about having to go to, the Crypto.com Arena is now no longer a daunting prospect for other NBA sides. A combination of factors, such as the decline of King James, recurring injuries to Anthony Davies and exits of long-term starters, the Lakers have been on a significant decline as of late. As of now, their chances of making it to the postseason are very slim. This has become evidently clear as the season has progressed, coupled with the fact that other teams in the West have become much better than before, through a combination of form and smart trades. Nevertheless, although the Lakers did make some movement during the NBA trading window, they did nothing of much significance, and those trades do not look like improving their chances of making it to the postseason. 

One trade that seemed imminent during the entire trade window and was finally announced during the deadline was the exit of Westbrook, who moved to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the arrival of the much-desired Russel, who moved to the Lakers from the Clippers. Many Lakers supporters were joyful  when Russel’s arrival was announced, naively thinking that Russel was the missing piece that would finally make the Lakers tick and propel them to their previous position, back among the top teams in the Western conference. However, that was for nought, as no single player was ever going to be able to fix the mess that is the Lakers right now.

Nevertheless, even if Russel was indeed the missing piece, the move was so late in the season, and the Lakers were so deep down in the standings, the chances of them making the playoffs were next to none, with a 10-game winning streak required at that time to even have a chance. As of now, the Lakers find themselves in 9th place in the Western conference, although they are riding a 3-game winning streak, and the squad will be hoping there are many more to come. Despite that, it is very difficult to see this going on in an upward trajectory, and it will be especially difficult to continue this streak, even with the presence of new blood, as Lebron’s health has begun creating problems, with his foot injury making comeback after comeback, keeping him on the sidelines for several games. 

To sum it up, the Lakers look on course to miss yet another postseason, let alone churn out a championship-competitive season. However, every cloud has a silver lining. This time around, the hierarchy at Los Angeles has at least looked serious enough to work and get the Lakers out of this mess. One has reason to believe that come next season, this team will have a whole new look, as an inevitable revamp looks more than necessary.

Los Angeles Lakers Odds To Win The NBA Championship

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