NBA analyst Brian Windhorst gave a reality check for Los Angeles Lakers fans after LeBron James' 28-12-10 triple-double in Thursday’s win over the Mavericks. While praising the team's strong season, Windhorst said the Lakers' roster is limited and warned that a trip to the NBA Finals is unlikely, urging fans to "just enjoy the season."
The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a big 124-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, but not everyone is buying the playoff hype.
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LeBron James led the way with a triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. The 41-year-old forward once again controlled the tempo, pushing the pace, creating open looks, and running the offense like a true floor general.
Still, NBA analyst Brian Windhorst made it clear that he does not see the Lakers as a true NBA Finals contender this season. Speaking on the ESPN show Get Up, Windhorst praised the Lakers season but delivered a firm reality check.
"They're in fifth place in the West. That's terrific considering all of the games that their stars have missed," Windhorst said. "I mean, they're six and six now when Luka doesn't play. The fact that Austin Reaves has missed so many games, and LeBron has missed enough games to already be out of voting contention, and they're still 11 games over .500. Like, they're having a really good season. This is a somewhat limited roster, and I think everybody who's a Lakers fan should just do what LeBron said at the end there with that interview we just had: enjoy the season. If you're not going to the finals this year."
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Windhorst also explained that while a playoff run is possible, it would require the right conditions.
"If you're healthier than your opposition in the playoffs, if you catch the right matchup, you might be able to make a run," he added. "Just enjoy the season. Enjoy that on a Thursday night when there's star players out, he puts up a triple-double. Everybody who came to that game last night loved what they saw from Lebron James. He scored or assisted on the first 23 points. That's where you are as a Lakers organization right now."
The win against Dallas improved the Lakers to 33-21, good for fifth place in the Western Conference heading into the All-Star break.
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