After the news of injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, few expected the Los Angeles Lakers to make a strong playoff run. After slipping to the fourth seed behind the Denver Nuggets, JJ Redick’s team now faces the Houston Rockets led by Kevin Durant in the first round.

LeBron James has once again been asked to carry the team, and despite low expectations, the Lakers currently lead the series 2-0, taking advantage of home court.

There were doubts about whether LBJ could still lead a playoff team at this stage of his career, but skeptics are starting to reconsider. Among them is Skip Bayless, who shared his analysis:

I think the Lakers are better on both ends of the floor without Luka. The last time he played, they fell apart in the first half against the Thunder. In Game 1 the team was well organized by LeBron because he has less ego than Luka. In Game 2 there was connection, positivity, and strong defensive effort – now they look like a real basketball team

Skip Bayless

Former NBA player Kenyon Martin echoed a similar view, pointing to defense as the key factor behind the Lakers’ improvement:

The Lakers have taken on LeBron’s identity again because he’s the vocal leader, and you can see it in how they defend, how they approach games, and how they listen. When Luka is there, there are defensive gaps – and when he doesn’t engage, sometimes the rest of the team doesn’t either

Kenyon Martin

Game 3 is set for Friday and could be decisive for the series. Houston will try to respond, while the Lakers aim to move closer to a potential sweep in the NBA Playoffs. Still, the Lakers remain cautious – as LeBron James has emphasized, Kevin Durant is not the kind of player who stays quiet for long after a loss.