LeBron's 40K Aside, Are The Lakers A Threat?

NBA greatness is upon us (again), but can the Lakers back LeBron up...or vice versa?

I could make a series out of analyzing Charles Barkley’s quotes. Call it Barknalysis.

Earlier this week, Sir Charles went on a rant about how “other networks” were constantly talking about the Warriors and Lakers, while also exclaiming, “Ain't nobody worried about the Lakers and the Warriors in the West!”

With LeBron on the brink of being the first player in league history to hit 40,000 points — which, mind you, is both a testament to his longevity and just being, you know, good at basketball — I think we should push the Warriors to the side for a second. With the sixth-man Klay experiment, anything could happen in the Bay. The Lakers, however, are in a more interesting conundrum. Faced with the prospect of LeBron leaving in the offseason and blowing up the whole operation, little has changed from a roster construction standpoint to accommodate their strange first half of the season.

So are the Lakers a threat in the West? Let’s explore that question for a bit.