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Can LeBron James guide the Lakers to a deep playoff run?

Updated Dec. 22, 2021 11:58 a.m. ET

Any franchise that is led by LeBron James is bound to have "championship or bust" expectations.

When that franchise happens to be the Los Angeles Lakers, the heat is only going to be turned up under the Southern California sun.

So far this season, however, the Lakers appear to be wilting in that heat.

Currently standing seventh in the Western Conference (16-16), the Lakers have looked more like a team destined for a second straight appearance in the play-in round than a legitimate NBA Finals contender.

A litany of injuries and lack of continuity have spelled minor disaster in L.A. this season, but according to ESPN's Tim Legler, even a clean bill of health won't make much of a difference for the Lakers. He explained why on "First Take."

"This is one of the worst defensive teams in the league with everybody healthy," Legler said. "And first of all, you have to make the assumption that they'll all be healthy, and that is even a reach."

The Lakers currently rank 10th in overall defensive rating (107.3). But they are allowing teams to score at will, giving up 111.2 points per game, fourth-most in the NBA. If the Lakers were somehow able to make a run to the NBA Finals and win a championship with those defensive numbers, they would have the worst defensive statistics of any team that has won a championship in the past eight seasons.

Going back to health, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony are the only two Lakers who have appeared in all 32 games this season. With Anthony Davis slated to miss at least four weeks due to an MCL sprain, the Lakers will once again be behind the eight-ball when it comes to building chemistry and improving their defense.

That leaky defense and inconsistent roster availability are the main reasons the Lakers are on pace for 41 wins this season, a total that would be the second-fewest wins ever by a team that reached the NBA Finals after playing at least 60 games. The 1971 Washington Bullets and 1976 Phoenix Suns each had 42 wins; the fewest ever for an NBA Finalist was the 1981 Houston Rockets' 40 wins.

But even with all the evidence mounting against the Lakers as legitimate title contenders, they still employ James, who has been great this season, averaging 26.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists. However, those numbers haven't translated to wins for the Lakers, which has given Chris Broussard cause for pause. He detailed why on "First Things First."

While James hasn't been quite as dominant in the regular season so far, Nick Wright still believes he just needs to do it in a playoff setting for the Lakers to overcome their shortcomings.

"The big question for the Lakers is: Does he still have the ability to do that for six weeks?" Wright said. "Can he get there for the playoffs? I am also going to hold out some optimism on that, and my confidence level of the Lakers as a title contender is a buyer."

James has proven not only to be able to consistently get to the Finals –– making 10 trips and winning four titles –– but also to be one of the best postseason performers in the history of the NBA.

He has a career playoff record of 174-92 (65.4%), with 130 double-doubles and 28 triple-doubles in the playoffs. His career playoff averages are 28.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 7.2 APG.

In short, if he is still that guy, the Lakers will need every bit of his abilities to contend when the playoffs roll around.

But first, they have to make it there, which is very much in doubt at this point in the season, as Shannon Sharpe detailed on "Undisputed."

"At best-case scenario, they are in danger of being in the play-in," Sharpe said. "They're a mess right now."

Shannon Sharpe: "The Lakers, at best, will make the play-in tournament"

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their third game in a row Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns. Shannon Sharpe breaks down how this loss proves the Lakers are in danger of missing the playoffs.

James and the Lakers have three months left to right the ship.

The clock is ticking.