The Los Angeles Lakers have made the playoffs each of the past two years, but despite reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2023, there hasn't been this much excitement about a potential purple and gold postseason run since at least 2020.
That was the year of the bubble, which also happens to be the last time that L.A. won the title, doing it behind a Herculean effort from LeBron James and Anthony Davis. This year's team looks much different, or at least it has since the trade deadline.
Davis is gone to Dallas thanks to the trade of the century, and he's been replaced by Luka Dončić as LeBron's copilot. Luka has helped elevate the Lakers from being viewed as a fringe playoff team to being feared as a bona fide contender, a statement that still doesn't feel real to say.
If the Lakers are fully healthy, there are few teams that can match their combination of star power and depth. Therein lies the rub though, as JJ Redick has had to play musical chairs with his starting lineup in recent weeks. LeBron has been out since the March 8 game against the Celtics with a strained groin. Rui Hachimura has been out even longer with patellar tendinopathy.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent have also missed the odd game lately, while Luka is still taking things slowly with his ankle and calf that have been bothering him for much of the season.
To make a title push, the Lakers need to be at full health. What would their playoff depth chart look like in an ideal world?
Starters
Point Guard: Luka Dončić
Shooting Guard: Austin Reaves
Small Forward: LeBron James
Power Forward: Rui Hachimura
Center: Jaxson Hayes
Here's how dire the Lakers' current injury situation is. Every one of those five starters missed last night's game against the Bucks, with Jaxson Hayes being the lone exception. The Lakers are limping to the finish line.
When healthy, this is a dynamite lineup. No other threesome in the league boasts the playmaking ability of Luka, LeBron and Reaves, because not only do all three make their teammates better with their vision and ball movement, all three are also able to take over a game with their scoring when needed.
Hachimura doesn't get the credit he deserves as a really solid complementary piece, though it will be interesting to see if he's able to get up to full speed by time the postseason arrives.
Hayes was seen as the weak spot in this lineup, but he's been a revelation since taking over as the starter for Davis. His rim protection has been on point, and he's been an ultra-reliable finisher down low. Lakers fans panicked when the Mark Williams trade fell through, but Hayes has been more than enough on his own.
Reserves
Dorian Finney-Smith
Dalton Knecht
Jarred Vanderbilt
Gabe Vincent
Benches typically shorten in the playoffs, so while Jordan Goodwin has given JJ Redick some good minutes while filling in for all the injured players, he's unlikely to see much run if everyone gets healthy. Same for Bronny James, who isn't close to ready for playoff basketball yet, even if his 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting against the Bucks last night was not only by far his best game as a pro, but it represented one more point scored than he had managed in his other 20 NBA appearances.
Trey Jemison III and Christian Koloko could see a few minutes to spell Hayes, but it's more likely that the Lakers go small with Hachimura at the 5 for most of that time.
Finney-Smith is the most important Laker reserve for his switchability on defense and his outside shooting. The Luka trade got all the press, but the beginning of the Lakers' rise was when DFS came over from Brooklyn. He'll play big minutes while taking on one of the opposing team's top scorers.
Vanderbilt is in here for his defense as well. He plays fewer minutes than Finney-Smith, but it's because he's pretty much a zero on the offensive end. When the Lakers need to hold onto a lead though, he'll be out there.
Knecht is the one Lakers bench player with a decent chance of getting hot and scoring 20+. He's only a rookie, so the smart money says that his 20 minutes per game will decrease in the postseason, though Redick might play it by ear to see if he has the hot hand each night.
That leaves Vincent, who most fans were ready to ship out at the trade deadline but has since become a vital contributor as one of the few relatively healthy bodies. He's really found his 3-point shot this month, as he's shot 46.9 percent from deep while making at least three in six out of nine games.
JJ Redick has proven himself to be more than qualified to coach this team. His ability to adapt to new personnel has been integral to the Lakers' success, and the way he's gotten the entire roster to buy in defensively has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season. That's why he's a serious candidate for Coach of the Year.
It would be a shame if Redick's coaching talent is hamstrung by having to just throw out whatever five healthy bodies he has. The Lakers need to get healthy in these final weeks of the regular season, and then their depth can shine through.