West Notes: Lakers, Playoff Chances, LeBron James, Blazers, Pelicans

“Even if all those variables break in the Lakers’ favor, one has to concede Anthony Davis is unlikely to match last year’s career-high 76 games. The issue is the same for LeBron James, who logged 71 — his highest total since 2017-18,” Hughes wrote. “James has treated the aging curve more defiantly than anyone in history, but it takes a special kind of blind optimism to believe someone entering his age-40 season will be available more often than he was at 39.

“It should go without saying that the Lakers won’t have a talent advantage against almost anyone when James or Davis misses a game. With both out, they’re basically drawing dead.”

Yeah, amen. They also have a first-time coach.

“Add to that the uncertain fitness of JJ Redick as a head coach, a Western Conference that refuses to stop getting deeper and the current unavailability of worthwhile trade upgrades, and it’s almost impossible to argue the Lakers are better positioned to succeed today than they were a year ago at this time,” Hughes wrote.

• For the record, I’m with Hughes. The Lakers don’t stack up against the rest of the West’s best. Not as currently constructed. And I don’t think there’s a move out there that will move the needle for them anytime soon. That said, lots can change between now and the trade deadline.

Trail Blazers

The Blazers have to figure out whether to extend three players who are currently eligible to hit free agency in 2026, as written by Alex Kirschenbaum of SI.com.

Those players: Anfernee Simons, Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams. Given that Ayton and Williams both play center, and the Blazers drafted a center in Donovan Clingan … well, it’s hard to envision all three on the team by the end of the season. And you have to think Clingan isn’t going anywhere.

Anyway, Kirchenbaum took a deep dive into the three extension possibilities. Check it out here. 

• In case you missed it, the Blazers’ assistant GM is set to coach their G League squad. We have that full story here.

Pelicans

This may finally be the year we see the fully healthy Zion Williamson, and the Williamson the Pelicans believed would be a franchise-changer when they took him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019.

“The excitement is starting to build about what 2024-25 could look like for the two-time All-Star,’ wrote Frank Urbina of HoopsHype. “The way Williamson ended his 2023-24 season, with arguably the best performance of his career in the Play-In Game against the Los Angeles Lakers, also leads us to believe this campaign coming up could be the best of Williamson’s career.”

Urbina ranked Williamson as the league’s No. 2 power forward, behind only the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hard to argue with that one.