For the first time in four years, the Los Angeles Lakers have legitimate title aspirations as the start of the 2025 NBA Playoffs approaches.
Yes, they reached the Western Conference Finals in 2023 after a late-season surge, but that year's run proved to be more of a temporary run than something that had any real staying power or could've been built upon.
This time around, the arrival of Luka Doncic has given them a new head honcho, which, in turn, has taken lots of pressure off an aging LeBron James while making life easier on Austin Reaves, who is now playing at an All-Star level.