Los Angeles Lakers apparently need 50 from LeBron James nightly

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 05: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors during a 124-116 Lakers win at Crypto.com Arena on March 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

LeBron James, also known as “The King,” could possibly miss the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers stand at ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 28-35.

Before LeBron’s amazing performance on Saturday’s games against the Golden State Warriors, where he dropped an astounding 56 points, the Lakers were on a four-game losing streak.

Los Angeles Lakers apparently need 50 from LeBron James nightly

So how did the ninth seed upset the West’s second seed? It was simply a result of LeBron playing the same way he did back in his prime in 2013. LeBron is now one of four NBA players to drop 50 points after turning 37 years old, joining Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Jamal Crawford.

Every cloud has a silver lining, and James’ 56 was just that for the Lakers.

Ever since January 26 (42 games straight) they’ve stayed number nine in the standings. The Warriors, however, have not dropped below third in the standings, and only dropped to three once.

The Warriors have by no means “fallen off”. The most logical reasons as to why they lost against a lowly Lakers squad was that it was simply an off-night or just a result of James going nuclear. If the Lakers want a chance at making the playoffs or even getting up in the rankings, they have to play as they did against the Warriors every night. (Although asking James for 56 a night is absurd.)

But the bigger question is, will the Lakers even make it to the playoffs? The LA Clippers, who are sitting at eighth in the West, just beat the Lakers. The Clipper’s record is 34-32, and the Lakers’ chances of dethroning them for eighth is slowly slipping away.

The Lakers’ chances of making the postseason will increase tenfold once Davis returns, but even then, things aren’t looking too hot for them, especially if they’re depending on 56 from LeBron James to win.