6-Time All-Star Thinks Lakers Can Championship In 2024

Ricardo Sandoval | Apr 14, 2024

Mar 2, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis and forward LeBron James defend Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

In all likelihood, the Los Angeles Lakers will participate in the 9-10 matchup for the play-in tournament that is set to begin next Tuesday. It seems like a tough feat for the Lakers even though they've shown they can make a deep playoff run despite participating in the play-in tournament, and we saw that last season.

However, this season is a bit different. Teams in the Western Conference are more competitive, and the Lakers will likely need to win two games in the play-in to be the eighth seed and face the Denver Nuggets.

It's not an ideal situation; however, the Purple and Gold have shown they are more than capable, and a former six-time All-Star and Laker rival Amar'e Stoudemire believes LA can go all the way.

In a new appearance on NBA sideline reporter and insider Chris Haynes, Stoudemire says LA can win the championship this season.

"The reason why I say that is because when you win the in-season tournament, that shows you that you are one of the top teams in the NBA. From experience overseas, those teams that win the in-season tournament have a higher possibility of winning or competing in the championship. I feel like the Lakers, if everybody is healthy and LeBron has that chip on his shoulder, then the Lakers will win the championship. They'll be at the top at the end."

I wish I had Stoudemire's confidence and optimism about the Lakers because that's just ludicrous. Los Angeles has a tough hill to climb, and even if they escape the play-in, they'll need to play the Nuggets, who have dominated them in the past eight matchups. That's the one team they cannot beat in a seven-game series, and they'll likely be the team they'll face in the first round.

Although the Lakers have been playing fantastic basketball for the last two months, they have a daunting task ahead of them. They do not control their own destiny, and they aren't healthy at the moment. The Lakers' medical staff has not released any update on defensive-minded forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who is dealing with a foot injury and is arguably their second-best defender on the team.

Things look bleak for the Lakers, and a shot at a title doesn't seem realistic for them this season. Maybe a seismic trade this offseason and taking the regular some seriously next season will change my mind.