Rob Parker discredits LeBron James' recent scoring barrage, says "The King" doesn't impact winning anymore

LeBron James continues to defy Father Time in his 20th season in the NBA, especially with his recent scoring barrage since turning 38 last month. However, Fox Sports' Rob Parker reckons James doesn't impact winning anymore, which was evident against the LA Clippers on Tuesday.

On The Odd Couple podcast, Parker and Chris Broussard discussed the Lakers' tenth straight loss to the Clippers. The Lakers were blown out by the Clippers 133-115 despite 46 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from "The King." Parker also questioned James' overall impact on the team and if they could make the playoffs.

"You just scored 46; you're unbelievable. You're gonna lead the league in scoring, but your team's not gonna make the playoffs," Parker said. "Are you kidding me? If he scores 46 and they beat the Clippers and they put together three wins in a row after that big comeback in Portland, maybe. But you're glad-handing LeBron for getting blown out.

For the Lakers, this is it. LeBron doesn't impact winning. I'm not mad at him. It's easier to score in the NBA than it ever has been."

Chris Broussard agreed with Rob Parker with his assessment regarding how it's easier to score in the league now more than ever. However, Broussard defended LeBron James by pointing out that there's only a few players averaging 30 points or more this season.

James is averaging 29.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game this season. He has been much better since December 30, putting up 34.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.1 assists in his last 12 games. He also made history on Tuesday against the LA Clippers by becoming the first player to score 40 or more points against all 30 NBA teams.

However, the LA Lakers are only 13th in the Western Conference, with a record of 23-26. They beat the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night 113-104.

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Can LeBron James lead LA Lakers back to playoffs?

LeBron James of the LA Lakers

LeBron James and the LA Lakers missed the playoffs last season. James vowed that he would never miss the postseason again, but can the Lakers make it this season?

The Lakers are just a game behind the tenth and final play-in tournament spot. They're also just two games behind the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

The West, especially from the third to 13th spot, are very close to each other. That means every game counts, and the Lakers can't afford careless losses in the rest of the season.

For the Lakers to secure a spot in the playoffs, they might have to make more trades to further improve the roster. They also need to hope that LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain healthy.