The Los Angeles Lakers came into this season as a favorite to win it all again despite the Nets bringing together KD, Kyrie, and James Harden.  Yes the Lakers did lose some key role players from last year in Howard, Rondo, and Javale McGhee, but I think they actually got better by adding Shroeder, Matthews, Gasol and later getting the big man Andre Drummond. Horton-Tucker can always light it up and is probably the best young player on the roster.  Unfortunately, they've been bitten by the injury bug this season which at one point AD and Lebron were both out for a long stretch.  AD has had multiple issues and Lebron has been plagued by a bad ankle and he just injured it again after landing awkwardly in last nights game against the Pelicans.  The King says that it was just a tweek and he'll be ok, but the bigger question is will the Lakers as a team be ok considering the massive fall in the standings to a point that they now have to face the Warriors in the new "play in" tournament to make the playoffs?  I don't think anyone including the Lakers thought they would be in the  position that they are in now and this puts them in a huge uphill climb to repeat as Champions.  First things first is the Wednesday playoff game because its literally win that game or go home.  I will say this though, IF the Lakers manage to win that game against one of and if not the hottest player in the league being Steph Curry, then I believe we will see the Lakers be more dominant than we've seen them be since the arrival of Lebron James.  If this team is able to somehow find a way to come together and execute on all levels and have a healthy Lebron James then you can bet on it that the trophy remains in Laker Land and also add another jewels to the King's crown.  They key to it all is Lebron reaching back to pull zero dark thirty to the present and follow it up with the storm he predicted with his return to full strength.  There's two professional athletes you don't bet against in this era of sports.  Lebron James and Tom Brady.  They have an immeasurable desire and will to win especially when it's crunch time.  Just when you think they are down and you draw your foot back to try and kick em', they pop up, catch your foot and hit you with a round house knock out.  
So for me and many others, it ain't over til it's over with Lebron James and these Los Angeles Lakers.