Stephen A. Smith says LeBron might get swept by KD and the Rockets
“Without Luka and AR, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t getting past 5 games. It might be a sweep”
(🎥 @FirstTake / h/t @NBA__Courtside )
Getty
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
The Los Angeles Lakers are, for all intents and purposes, LeBron James‘ team for the time being as they prepare for a first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
With injuries to both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, it remains an uphill battle for the Lakers against the Rockets, and according to many insiders, the road will end very soon for a Los Angeles team that is nowhere near full strength right now.
Despite new updates on Doncic and Reaves potentially coming back for the Lakers sooner than many expected, the 2025-26 season for LA is expected to end in the first round against Houston.
GettyKevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets reacts with LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Toyota Center on March 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
According to ESPN, the Lakers will not get past the Rockets in the first round.
Based on a recent playoff prediction article published on the website 11 of 12 insiders and analysts predicted Houston to beat Los Angeles, in either five, six or seven games. Only one, Marc Spears, had the Lakers getting the series victory.
Additionally, per Zach Kram of ESPN, the Rockets are the favorites, as he predicted them to beat the Lakers in six games, but that doesn’t mean the Southern California team doesn’t have a shot at advancing.
“Despite their injuries, the Lakers have a legitimate chance in this series. Lineups with James playing without Doncic and Reaves this season had a plus-9.0 net rating, per databallr, and James in lineups with shooters have been successful across his storied career,” he wrote. “But I suspect that after a surprisingly competitive start to the series, Houston will adjust and gain the upper hand; the Rockets’ talent advantage is too great for even James to overcome.”
Stephen A. Smith says LeBron might get swept by KD and the Rockets
“Without Luka and AR, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t getting past 5 games. It might be a sweep”
(🎥 @FirstTake / h/t @NBA__Courtside )
The Lakers do have home-court advantage for the first round, and the Rockets have struggled to find a true ball-handler and point guard throughout the season, as well as major shooting woes when it comes to fourth-quarter crunch time.
But still, as Los Angeles is missing more than 55 points per game in the form of Doncic and Reaves, it’s going to be an uphill battle to advance over a healthier team.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 7, 2026: Injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) sits on the bench in street clothes next to Los Angeles Lakers forward Maxi Kleber (14) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15), right, during the game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on February 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Reporting on both Doncic and Reaves’ potential injury returns over the past few days has been anywhere from ‘they are coming back soon’ to ‘they aren’t coming back at all.’
Based on the original projected return timelines, they shouldn’t be expected in the first round; however, according to new reports, both could be back on the court sooner than expected.
For Doncic, he is expected to return to the U.S. later in the week, set to be re-evaluated on Friday. While the typical return timeline for his injury is multiple weeks, many think he could get back on the court soon. Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN didn’t rule out him playing in the series against the Rockets, but it would have to be in either game five or six at the earliest for him to come back.
Lakers playoffs hopes are faint after the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But there’s at least a chance one of them can come back if they can extend their first round series. Joined MJ and Perk on NBA Today to discuss whether LeBron could write one last Hollywood
Based on the latest news, Doncic will be evaluated by the Lakers upon returning from Europe, but right now, he has no timeline for a return.
As for Reaves, his injury was a bit more straightforward, as it was a four-to-six-week recovery timeline for his grade two oblique strain. While that would put him out likely for the entire series against the Rockets, a new report on his status could also mean a quicker return.
“There are potential Laker playoff opponents who felt that there was a better chance — based on their analysis of the situation — that Austin Reaves could play sooner rather than later,” Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast. “(The Rockets) were preparing for Austin Reaves potentially to play in that first-round series at some point.”
Regardless, these are all projections that Lakers fans want to hear, the best-case scenarios for both Doncic and Reaves.
It remains to be determined as to when both will be cleared to come back, and if Los Angeles doesn’t get past Houston, any chance of them returning in major fashion can all but certainly be ruled out.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。