The Los Angeles Lakers were a major disruption in the Western Conference after the All-Star break. Precisely, in March, they emerged as the 3rd seed with a 15-2 record. That iconic run put Luka Doncic in the MVP conversation and Austin Reaves on a higher pedestal. But as both stars left with injuries, LA’s system collapsed. Now, they’re 4th with a 1-3 record in the last 4 games. Pressure for the playoffs is building, especially on LeBron James.
Therefore, on a scale of 1 to 10, where’s the panic level right now for them? “It’s at a level 10,” NBA legend Paul Pierce said on KG Certified. “It’s just demoralizing for Bron because this could have been his one last run for a title. Because with the way they was playing offensively. You got Luka, who’s an obvious MVP candidate, with Reaves. It’s just demoralizing. Like, I don’t see how he can get up. I mean, he’s going to get up for the playoffs, but now the minutes they’re going to put on him.”
However, Kevin Garnett chose to differ. “You got to gun out. F— it. The workload they going to put on—gun out. I’m going for 50.” KG then reminded Pierce about Dwyane Wade.
Game 2 of the 2012 East semifinals had its moment. Dwyane Wade, 29 then, sliced through and dropped a vicious Eurostep on Kevin Garnett, leaving him frozen as the Miami crowd erupted. And one turned into three, as Wade finished the and-one. He poured in 28. Meanwhile, LeBron James added 35, powering the Miami Heat past the Boston Celtics 102–91. That series ended in a 4-3 record, pushing the Heat into the Finals, and eventually winning the same.
“I know. But D-Wade was 30,” Pierce argued. “He was going. But he was young. You’re asking Bron to go?” Then Garnett added, “He had 40 in that series. F— it. What else do you got?” Paul Pierce gave a more realistic picture: “But like this, I’m just saying, mentally I’m sitting there, and I’m like I’m drained.”
However, according to Kevin Garnett, even when the situation feels hopeless, you can’t sit back. First, you process the frustration. Then you respond with aggression—attack, take control, and give your team a fighting chance instead of accepting defeat. And that seems like a clear message for LeBron James amidst the Lakers’ tough situation ahead of the playoffs.
But at the same time, if Bron fails to perform, then criticism will follow. “Bro, you can’t win. Guess what? When you can’t win, gun out. Go out guns blazing. At least we like, well, LeBron James finished with 52. Look, you’ve got to gun out. Then guess what’s going to happen? Some dude’s going to quit on him,” KG said. “He’s going to be in the series and dudes already one, two, three Cancun. I’m watching it. So guess what? To not even deal with all that—okay, y’all follow me. Be ready when I pass it to you. Be ready to shoot. Like, what are we doing?”
KG went on, “Because you can’t go in here like, ‘Oh man, I’m mentally drained. I don’t have Luka. I ain’t got AR.’ What are you going to do? Alright, we’re in here. You still got NBA players, and we finna man up. We finna go at them. Make them beat us. Yeah. Straight up, dog. I ain’t going to cut.”
Now, looking at LeBron James’ postseason record, he’s at 184-108 in the playoffs in his career. This means he has won 63.0% of his playoff games over 23 seasons. Besides, he has also pushed his team in the NBA Finals single-handedly before. Back in 2018, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James put up one of the greatest individual carries in the league’s history. He led his team to the Finals by averaging 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9.0 assists over 22 grueling games.
LeBron James & Co. fight against the Rockets
“No, they can’t beat Houston,” Paul Pierce said without mincing words. Well, why does PP think this way? “They can’t beat Houston without Luka. Look, period. If you got Reaves, you still are not beating them.” However, KG disagreed again. He said, “Listen, man. I seen the Rockets play. They wasn’t all polished. They get some good wins, though, but they are also a mess sometimes. And they don’t have all direction.”
He believes Kevin Durant shouldn’t be burdened with running the offense every possession. Instead, KD should focus on scoring, coming off actions, and doubles. Garnett’s point is simple: teams need a true floor general with high IQ to organize plays, make decisions, and control the game, rather than forcing a scorer into a role that disrupts offensive flow.
Now, historically, the Houston Rockets hold a 16-24 playoff record against the Los Angeles Lakers. They last met in the 2020 Conference Finals, which ended 4-1 in LA’s favor. In that series, LeBron James dominated with an average of 27.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists.
Meanwhile, Paul Pierce added, “You can’t depend on a young guard with no experience like Reed [Sheppard]. He is not ready to go on a deep run.” The Rockets’ biggest flaw is that their roster has no real guard. And this makes it difficult for the team to stand out against the likes of the Lakers or the Warriors.
Well, it’s good to be hopeful, but better to be realistic, and therefore, many feel that LA might struggle terribly. However, everything comes down to the Los Angeles Lakers’ motivation. Without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, they have to make it through the postseason. Meanwhile, pressure piles up on LeBron James, and experts doubt whether another miracle is possible or not.
