LeBron James Says Projecting Lakers Playoff Run 'Not Right For the Basketball Gods'
LeBron James believes it is far too early in the season to start looking ahead to the playoffs.
"I can't think about what we can do in the playoffs in December," James said following Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "What I can say is that the habits that we build throughout the regular season each month [are what is important]. If we are in a position to make it to the postseason and be able to get to that point, well, we have to build it now.
"But as far as talking about what type of damage we're going to do in the postseason in December, that's not right for the basketball gods, not for me."
The comments were all the more notable because his longtime business partner and representative, Rich Paul, turned heads Monday on the debut episode of the Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul podcast.
"I don't think they have enough to get to the Western Conference finals," Paul said of the Lakers (h/t McMenamin). "I don't think they have enough to really contend, from that perspective."
James wasn't about to publicly agree with Paul, but there are more concerns than Los Angeles' 17-7 record would indicate.
In fact, many of them were on display during Wednesday's 132-119 loss. The team is an ugly 21st in the league in defensive rating, per NBA.com, and struggled to slow down a Spurs opponent that was playing without its star player in Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio connected on 17-of-38 shots from three-point range (45 percent) and was met with little resistance when attacking the rim. It also created plenty of open looks in transition, which put the Lakers in comeback mode for the majority of the contest.
Los Angeles has the firepower to beat anyone with Luka Dončić, James and Austin Reaves leading the way.
But it is difficult to envision it defeating some of the league's elite opponents such as the Oklahoma City Thunder four times in a seven-game series if it doesn't take significant strides on the defensive side.
