Lakers power rankings round-up: Where do the experts rank Los Angeles?

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of those teams that everyone always has a strong opinion about. Decades of success has helped L.A. build one of the largest fanbases in the league, but if you're not with the Lakers, you tend to be very much against them.

Lakers fans are no stranger to an "us versus them" mentality. It comes with the territory when so many iconic players have suited up for one franchise, and it's definitely held true in recent years now that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been the two best players on the team.

LeBron especially has been a polarizing figure during his career, with so many people rooting against him whether he's been in Miami, Cleveland or L.A. There's been a lot of fodder for the haters since the Lakers won the championship in 2021, and even during that run if we're being honest, since some fans are quick to dismiss the bubble championship as somehow less impressive than winning any other title.

Since that title the Lakers have just been another team as far as the standings go, regardless of the star power they still wield. Lakers haters around the league have reveled in the franchise's newfound struggles, as not one, but two coaches have been fired since the Buss family last got its hands on the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

This will come as devastating news to everyone praying on the downfall of the purple and gold, but the Lakers may be back. New head coach JJ Redick has the team's offense clicking like never before, with Davis as the fulcrum and LeBron as the do-everything playmaker. The Lakers have won their last five games, and are now sitting pretty with a 9-4 record.

The Lakers are one of only three teams that haven't lost a game at home this season, but their last two games against the Pelicans and Spurs were road wins on back-to-back nights, an impressive feat regardless of the opponent.

Has the Lakers' newfound success gotten them any respect around the league? Let's see what the experts are saying.

The Lakers are on the rise in our latest power rankings round-up

NBA.com's John Schuhmann had the Lakers ranked 13th in last week's power rankings, but they've moved up to 9th this week thanks to their 3-0 record. Schuhmann pointed out that although the Lakers haven't been dominant in getting their wins, they have been extremely clutch in late game situations, as they were able to pull out every game last week despite each game being within five points in the last five minutes.

LeBron stepped up in a big way on Sunday, nailing a pair of threes in the final two minutes after the Pelicans pulled ahead late. LeBron's outside shooting has been a big part of the Lakers' resurgence as he's shooting a career-best 43.1 percent from outside through the first 13 games.

Mike Shearer of HoopsHype.com gives the Lakers even more respect, placing them at number six in his power rankings behind only the Cavs, Thunder, Warriors, Celtics and Rockets. In this edition of his power rankings, Shearer focused on a young player from each team, and he called out Max Christie for the Lakers, correctly pointing out that L.A. needs more from their young wing if he's going to earn minutes and be a meaningful contributor.

Christie hasn't shot the ball well at all this season, and has had to watch as rookie Dalton Knecht leapfrogged him in the rotation in the past week. Knecht is averaging over 31 minutes and 20 points per game in his last three to give the Lakers offense a spark.

Reddit's NBA board publishes a fun and in-depth power rankings every two weeks, and its most recent edition came out on Monday. The Lakers took the sixth spot here too, with the author noting that L.A. has gotten hot despite enduring numerous absences in the frontcourt, with Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish all missing time recently, plus Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood still waiting to make their season debuts as they continue their offseason rehab.

Another great point made was that the Lakers offense has been even better since moving D'Angelo Russell to the bench, with LeBron picking up the playmaking slack by rolling off four consecutive triple-doubles, something nobody his age has ever done.

ESPN and CBS Sports publish their power rankings later in the week, but last week they had the Lakers at 11th and 8th, respectively. A home date with the lowly Jazz tonight should only help L.A. solidify its standing by time they come out.