LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is surprised that his new team is doing better than initially thought they'd be.
In an interview with ESPN, via Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints, James admitted that the Lakers won't be making a ton of waves this season primarily because it's a relatively new group and will take time to fully mesh with one another.
“That’s the funny thing because I came into the season saying we’re so much further away from a lot of other teams in the NBA because we’re a new group.”
LeBron James on possibilities for the #Lakers (1/2): “That’s the funny thing because I came into the season saying we’re so much further away from a lot of other teams in the #NBA because we’re a new group.” via ESPN
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) December 25, 2018
But at this point in the season, James, like most basketball fans and analysts, is surprised with he's seeing. The Lakers have a 19-14 record and are currently fourth place in the tough Western Conference. They are winning games that they should be winning. And when matched-up against legitimate playoff contenders, they managed to keep it close.
LeBron James on #Lakers possibilities (2/2): “Now we’re a quarter through the season and I see that we can be so much better than what I actually thought. Because you’re like oh we’re not that far away from that team.” Via ESPN
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) December 25, 2018
At the beginning of the season, some believe that the Lakers' goal will be simply to qualify for the playoffs as it's the most feasible goal for their young squad. But with the way they're performing, it seems that the Lakers will make it safely into the postseason.
And once they're in the playoffs, who knows how far they'll end up. Winning the ring might be a considered a longshot. But as we all know, anything can happen in the NBA.