So far this season, the Lakers have had to overcome injuries, a bad roster, a rookie head coach, the weird vibes that come with the will-they-won’t-they trade Russell Westbrook fiasco, one of the worst shooting stretches in the history of the sport and somehow still find themselves right there, fighting for a play-in spot.
Honestly, that they sit within a game of that 10th seed and only a couple games from the six seed is a testament to the mediocrity that defines the Western Conference and also the competitive nature on this team. At several points this season, the Lakers could’ve looked at the uphill climb ahead of them and called it quits.