The Los Angeles Lakers are fighting to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race midway through the 2024-25 campaign. After a 7-2 stretch that brought them six games over .500, they have lost three straight. With nearly half the regular season remaining, Los Angeles sits in seventh place, 2.5 games back of fourth but just 2.0 games away from falling out of the play-in.
NBA teams will evaluate where they stand over the next three weeks leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. LeBron James gave his take on the state of the Lakers.
“I think [we've found an identity],” James said on the GoJo and Golic show. “I think our identity is, defensively, we want to bring physicality to the game. Make teams try to do something that they do not like to do. And then offensively, we want to share the ball. We're very good when we're up in the high 20s in assists. I feel like we have so much more room to improve. We're not the team I believe we're gonna be once February and March hit. But I do like our chances, and we just gotta continue to put the work in. That's all that matters.”
While James is confident in where his team stands, the Lakers have plenty to fix on both ends if they hope to make a playoff run.
LeBron James, Lakers fighting for playoff lives as trade deadline approaches

The Lakers' identity has centered on the offensive end during their first season under JJ Redick. Los Angeles ranks 13th in offense, averaging 111.6 points, 26.2 assists and 13.6 turnovers per game on 47.2 percent shooting.
Led by James and Anthony Davis, they've done most of their damage near the rim. Redick's squad ranks 12th in points in the paint (49.4 points per game) and third in made free throws (18.7 per game). Conversely, they rank 28th in three-pointers attempted (34.0 per game) and 20th in three-point percentage (35.2).
However, their 24th-ranked defense has held them back for much of the season. Los Angeles has been unable to keep opponents away from the rim or defend in transition, ranking 28th in opponents' points in the paint (52.8 points per game) and 24th in opponents' fastbreak points (16.7 points per game).
Rob Pelinka attempted to address his team's three-point shooting and defensive deficiencies last month. The Lakers GM acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets for D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks.
Finney-Smith has continued his hot outside shooting with Los Angeles, converting 9-of-22 three-point attempts (40.9 percent) over six appearances. However, the team has continued to trend in the wrong direction defensively, ranking 28th following his acquisition.
With two tradable first-round picks and multiple mid-sized salaries, the Lakers have the ammunition to make another move before the deadline.