The Los Angeles Lakers have found a bit of rhythm lately, but that hasn’t done much to sway some fans and league observers into believing this group is built for a deep playoff run.
Former NBA defensive wing Iman Shumpert is one of the non-believers. You can talk about Luka Doncic playing like an MVP, you can point to LeBron James still performing at an All-Star level, you can even mention their place in the standings. It does not matter. In his eyes, this team is going nowhere past the second round.
“I keep telling y’all, they’re not going past the second round. Whatever they do past the first round, bravo. I’m happy for them, but we’re not expecting the Lakers to do anything beyond the second round, if that.”
Iman Shumpert says the Lakers CEILING is the 2nd round of the playoffs:
“I keep telling y’all they’re not going past the 2nd round. Whatever they do past the 1st round, bravo. I’m happy for them but we are not expecting the Lakers to do anything else besides the 2nd round, if… pic.twitter.com/PStUHQA6W1
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 27, 2026
And it’s not hard to see the logic. The West is loaded. Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves. Regular season success can signal something, but the playoffs operate on a different level. The Lakers felt that last year when Minnesota sent them home early despite the better record.
Maybe this version finds answers. For now, though, people are watching, and they’re still waiting for something more convincing.
