The Los Angeles Lakers are a struggling NBA franchise that may be on the cusp of turning things around. Although the team always turns a healthy profit on an annual basis, the product on the basketball floor has been less than stellar, but that could be changing with Magic Johnson and new general manager Rob Pelinka leading the way.

The Lakers are currently within striking distance of a playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference, and Pelinka believes that could be huge for his team moving forward. Pelinka recently talked about the state of the franchise and the mindset they have moving forward in an interview on ESPN 710's Mason & Ireland, transcription via Matt Borelli of Lakers Nation.

“I was looking at the team that’s in the eighth spot in the West, I think for all of us, if we can stay within a stone’s throw or striking distance from being in that conversation, that’s big for us.

“It gives us a purpose to compete for that spot. I think this young team would love to hover in that area and get a chance to play when it really matters — when the playoffs kick in.”

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Los Angeles is only one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (8-9) for the eighth seed in the West with an 8-11 record. The young squad led by rookie point guard Lonzo Ball has shown a lot of promise over the first month of the 2017-18 NBA season and could be in contention for a spot in the postseason if able to stay around or slightly above .500 come April.

Obviously, there's still a lot of basketball left to be played and decisions that need to be made over the course of the next five months. Pelinka and company still have to find a solution for Luol Deng's situation as well as determining whether it is time to part ways with Julius Randle and or Jordan Clarkson before the NBA trade deadline in February to clear cap space and go after superstar-caliber players in free agency next summer.

Despite the Lakers not being in the title-contending conversation nor are they currently in the playoff picture, the 16-time NBA champions have gained national attention once again for potentially being a force to be reckoned with in the near future.