What a season it's been for the Los Angeles Lakers! At first, it felt like the 2022-23 season was going to be a repeat of the previous year. They started off horribly, going 2-10 in their first 12 games. Slowly but surely, though, LA climbed out of the hole they dug themselves in. The midseason trades they executed became the catalyst for their success, and now, they've officially secured a winning season. This is the first time since the '04-'05 season that a team was able to get a plus-.500 record after starting the season 2-10, per Dave McMenamin.

“The Lakers this season became the first team since the Nets and Bulls in 2004-05 to start off 2-10 or worse and finish with a winning record according to
@ESPNStatsInfo”

After sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, the Lakers have secured a Play-In Tournament Spot for themselves. Even better for the Lakers, they have a legitimate shot at earning an outright playoff berth depending on how the next games of their rivals play out. All they need is to win against the Jazz… and pray for some miracles.

Still, this is already a mighty impressive turnaround for a team that had no business turning it around. The Lakers did not look like a coherent basketball team to start the year. Even when they started to get into the groove, the front office gambled and traded for savvy role players to complement LeBron and Anthony Davis. It worked like a charm, with players like Jarred Vanderbilt and D'Angelo Russell giving a much-needed boost to LA's defense and offense.

Is a title shot in the cards for the Lakers? On paper, no. However, crazier things have happened when LeBron James is in the playoffs. Don't be surprised if LA smacks a few teams on their way to the WCF.