The Los Angeles Lakers are rolling with an eight-game winning streak, and of course, talk of them being championship contenders has quickly followed.
Still, zoom out for a second. The Oklahoma City Thunder have looked like the steadiest force in the West, with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves lurking as proven playoff teams, and even the San Antonio Spurs getting real mentions in the larger mix. So where do the Lakers actually slot in?
Draymond Green more or less lands where a lot of people around the league do. With Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers have a counterpunch for anyone. But he thinks their defense may not be good enough to help them win it all.
“You ask yourself, how dangerous can they be during the playoffs? A part of me wants to say not very dangerous at all, but the other side of me knows better. You got Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the court at the same time. You have a chance always against anyone… I just don’t know if they’re good enough defensively to take it all the way.”
Draymond Green on the Lakers chances to be real contenders:
“You ask yourself how dangerous can they be during the playoffs, apart of me wants to say not very dangerous at all but the other side of me knows better. You got Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the court at the same… pic.twitter.com/kYEsPPMj43
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 20, 2026
