"He is as deserving for MVP consideration as anyone in the league" - Frank Vogel on LeBron James' chances in the MVP conversation amid a struggling LA Lakers season

Frank Vogel is pushing LeBron James in the MVP conversation, crediting him for his stellar season. The LA Lakers coach has appreciated the King's play. He believes that despite James being top-notch, the team's poor record has hindered the four-time NBA champion from MVP consideration.

James is averaging a league-high 30 PPG, which is also the most for any player at the age of 37. Despite the team's 31-42 mark, he has played at an elite, consistent level and Vogel certainly believes James deserves to be an MVP candidate like the other top players.

Vogel said:

"He is as deserving for MVP consideration as anybody in the league. Now, I know how the voting goes. You know the team with the best record or top couple of records gets most of the considerations, so the win-loss record definitely would hurt him. But you can't tell me that anybody's played a better season than LeBron James has played this year."

Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are leading the MVP race. James is ahead for the scoring title, but the MVP award looks to be a long shot for him. Others like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic are ranked after Embiid and Jokic on the list.

Can LeBron James lead the LA Lakers to a deep playoff run this season?

LA Lakers forward LeBron James

The LA Lakers are currently 10th in the West, tied with the ninth-place Pelicans, who hold the tiebreaker. (The teams will play twice in the next week, and those games will determine the tiebreaker.)

If the postseason began today, the Lakers would have to win the Nine-Ten Game, which would be played in New Orleans. They would then have to beat the loser of the Seven-Eight Game to claim the No. 8 seed and face the No. 1 seed, the Phoenix Suns (60-14).

The Lakers, who haven't won consecutive games since Jan. 7, would have to do so to win two play-in games. Meanwhile, they still have to hold off the 11th-place San Antonio Spurs (29-44).

James was able to take almost a week's rest as the Lakers played in only two games this week. He did not play in one of those, a Wednesday loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. With only nine games left, they will need the best from James, and this short break could help him get there.

Los Angeles, 11-24 on the road, has six road games remaining as well as six games against teams with at least 43 wins. Plus, the Lakers have the two critical games against the surging Pels. New Orleans is 13-10 since February began. The Lakers are 10-23 since Jan. 7 and 4-11 since the All-Star break. San Antonio is 10-10 since Feb. 4.

If the Lakers are to make their way out of the play-in games, they will face Phoenix. Last season, the Purple and Gold were given a 4-2 beating in the first round by the Suns.

This year, however, Los Angeles is a lot more stacked, having added Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Although nothing has worked for them and the Suns have blasted the Lakers three times this season, the postseason is a different season altogether. The Purple and Gold cannot be taken lightly there.

James is one of the best playoff performers and thrives under pressure. He will be key in their run ahead.

Players like Westbrook, Malik Monk and Anthony Davis will also have to step up if the Purple and Gold are to make noise in the playoffs. Teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks have all played extremely well this season. The odds are stacked against the Lakers, but if things get going for them, they will be a tough team to defeat.