This current Los Angeles Lakers side is a far cry from the squad that won the title 16 months ago. From being the most dominant team in the league, LA has now faltered to becoming a mediocre team that has been the laughing stock of critics and naysayers.

All hope is not lost for the Lakers, though. We're just about to hit the halfway point of the season and at this point, it would be foolish to rule out this team completely. LeBron James understands the predicament his team is in right now, but it is clear that he is far from ready to waive the white flag:

“There's still a lot of basketball to be played,” James said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “There's still an opportunity for us to make a mark on this season, but it's going to take some, it's going to take a lot. It's going to take a lot. But nothing is worth having if it's not worth working for.”

LeBron hit the nail on the head here. It will require a gargantuan effort from the Lakers if they are to get out of the hole they are currently in. The good news for them is that they have LeBron James on their team. If there's anyone who can lift his squad from a truly undesirable situation, then it has to be The King.

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Anthony Davis is on the same page. The eight-time All-Star echoed James' thoughts as he detailed exactly what the Lakers must do in order for them to turn their season around:

“I don't think we've given up on this,” Davis said. “I know we haven't. I don't think — I know we haven't. Like Bron said, we got a lot of basketball left. We can turn this around, but it's going to take a lot of work. To do it, it's going to take us as a team, collectively to do so. We got to buy in. We just got to, everyone go out there and play for each other. Play hard. Play selfless. And try to turn this around before it gets really bad.”

It goes without saying, however, that there are a lot of moving parts here. The Lakers have been trying to make the necessary improvements to their roster ahead of the trade deadline, but they haven't found any luck just yet. What LeBron and AD aren't saying here is that aside from the team having to come together and give it everything they've got, the front office will also need to step in and do its part. After all, LeBron and AD can only do so much with this current roster.