Carmelo Anthony on Lakers' Upcoming Playoff Push: 'I Think We're Built for It'

The Los Angeles Lakers' season hasn't gone as planned, but forward Carmelo Anthony is confident that the team can turn it around down the stretch.

The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference at 27-31.

Injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook's struggles in L.A. and a defense that has taken a big step back from last year—dropping from first to 16th in points allowed per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com—are some of the reasons why the team has not fared well.

Still, L.A. is squarely in the Western Conference play-in tournament, during which the Nos. 7 through 10 teams will fight for the last two playoff spots.

The Lakers have 24 games to improve their league standing, but they'll have to play for now without Davis, who has a midfoot sprain and will be reevaluated in mid-March.

The Lakers closed the front half of the season with a strong effort, though, nearly picking off the second-place Golden State Warriors in a 117-115 loss before beating the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz 106-101.

On the flip side, the Lakers have the third-hardest schedule remaining, per Tankathon. They also play four more games on the road rather than at home down the stretch.

The question will ultimately be whether this team can stay healthy when it matters most. If so, then the Lakers could make some noise in the playoffs. If not, then they may not make it out of the play-in tournament.