“Can you really count the Lakers out?” - David Jacoby believes the LA Lakers have a ‘punter’s chance’ to win the Western Conference, cites health as a key factor

With the regular season nearing its conclusion, as all games are scheduled to conclude by April 5th. The LA Lakers will be required to go on a serious winning spree if they are to make it to one of the play-in spots. Los Angeles is currently ranked ninth in the NBA Western Conference standings with 24 games left to play, as they hold a record of 27-31.

Lakers big man Anthony Davis may sit out the rest of the season due to a foot injury he sustained in their last outing against the Utah Jazz. This might affect the team's ability to make it into the playoffs or might have to resort to forging their path via the play-in tournament.

David Jacoby joined Max Kellerman on the "This Just In" show on ESPN. He shared his take on whether it was time to count the Lakers out of the race for the championship title. Jacoby was of the opinion that with a healthy LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, it was rather the wrong choice to count the Lakers out.

"Can you really count the Lakers out? Can you? I have counted the Lakers out so many times, but however.. If you have a healthy AD, a healthy LeBron and a healthy Westbrook.. I can't count them out."

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Can the LA Lakers go all the way to win the 2022 NBA championship title?

LeBron James #6 of the LA Lakers acknowledges the crowd during the game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on February 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Frank Vogel's men had their eyes set on a championship title at the beginning of the season. Those aspirations might be looking a bit bleak at the moment as they can't seem to find their winning stride having lost 31 games in 58 appearances.

Their terrible run has them with a win-loss percentage of 46.6, having allowed their opponents to score an average of 112.4 points per game this season. Their upcoming homestand of five straight games should be an opportunity to get back on track and show their capacity to go all the way.

David Jacoby seems to think they stand a good chance at winning the title, despite their shortcomings. His stance circles around how the LA Lakers cannot be written off, as history has shown.

"They're four games under .500 in the season. But I still think they've a chance to win the whole thing."

James' playoff experience should play a huge role in getting the Lakers to hit the right notes. Westbrook will also be looking to redeem himself and show up for the team down the stretch, as he has been known to find his form following the mid-season break.