Lakers News: LeBron James Positive About LA's Outlook; 'We Like Where We Are'

Less than a week after questioning his teammates' desire to power the Los Angeles Lakers to a playoff run this season, LeBron James struck a more diplomatic tone when talking about the Lakers' situation. 

"We like where we are," he said Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "I like where we are today."

Last Saturday, Los Angeles lost 128-115 to a New Orleans Pelicans squad that was without Anthony Davis. After the game, James said the Lakers players would have to assess whether basketball is "the most important thing in your life at this time."

Following James' comments, L.A. suffered a 110-105 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Speaking more positively about the team makes sense because continuing to be critical on the record in front of reporters won't help. At the same time, it's fair to wonder whether James is being entirely genuine with his take.

Things began unraveling for Los Angeles when James went down with a groin strain in December. The common belief was his return would coincide with an upturn in the Lakers' fortunes.

However, the Lakers are just 3-6 since James rejoined the lineup. He was out for their 115-101 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 2.

The Lakers are now 29-31, three games back of the San Antonio Spurs for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. ESPN.com's NBA BPI Playoff Odds gives Los Angeles a 3.4 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, while FiveThirtyEight puts the Lakers' postseason odds at 16 percent.

Even after they signed James, few expected the Lakers to be a title contender this year, but a playoff appearance was the minimum standard for success. L.A. is in serious danger of missing out entirely, which would constitute a massive failure.