Reacts: Lakers will struggle in postseason push without LeBron James

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Los Angeles Lakers fans and fans across the country.
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Even by Lakers standards, the 2022-23 season has been a wild, wild ride. It’s hard to believe that the 2-10 start, the Matt Ryan game-winner and even the memorable win in Milwaukee over the Bucks all occurred this season.

The latest week has been perhaps the most chaotic with high highs and low lows. While the Lakers firmly worked their way into the playoff race, it came at the cost of LeBron James, who is out for approximately three weeks with a right foot tendon injury.

This week’s SB Nations Reacts survey asked, then, if the Lakers could stay afloat with LeBron and the answer was wholly indecisive.

Honestly, this feels about accurate for how the feelings probably should be. There is no answer that is definitive in this case. The only thing that is clear is that this wouldn’t be a debate before the trade deadline as the Lakers would be hopeless.

The new roster, though, is one with a lot more depth, a lot more talent and is capable of winning games even without LeBron, as they’ve shown. Can they win enough to not just stay in the chase, but continue moving up?

Well, based on our poll results, it seems like it’s about a 50/50 chance of it happening.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.

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