With Austin Reaves dealing with a Grade 2 injury and Luka Doncic sidelined by a Grade 2 hamstring issue, the Los Angeles Lakers are staring at a brutal reality. Those kinds of injuries usually keep players out for weeks, so the Purple and Gold are almost certain to enter the first round without their two best guys.
That’s pushed many fans to hope LeBron James will somehow turn back the clock and carry the team as its top option. But Raymond Felton wants people to stop building that expectation, arguing that, even if King James taps into his veteran magic, at this stage he’s capable of leading the team to only one playoff win, at best.
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Felton wants Lakers fans to stop fantasizing
This season, King James has comfortably stepped back, putting up 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists — while playing 33.5 minutes per game (his second-lowest minutes a night ever).
More notably, when the moment has demanded the four-time MVP to step up, he has done so effortlessly, whether it was scoring over 30 points or registering a 28-point triple-double as he did against the Dallas Mavericks in February.
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Unsurprisingly, performances like those have encouraged Lakers fans that, as in the past, when James wants, he can elevate his performance. But Felton shut that idea almost instantly, for the playoffs.
Speaking on the “To The Baha” podcast, he acknowledged that, sure, James can log triple-doubles in the playoffs, but insisted that if the 41-year-old forward has to score 40 points in a game, he would be done and out for the rest of the playoffs, as it’s unfair to expect Bron to be at his veteran best.
“Stop, he’s turning no clock back. It’s over with. He’s gonna give you what he can give you, which is 20 points a night, possibly give you a triple-double. But that’s putting a lot on him. If LeBron has to go out and give you 40-12-15, he is done for that series. That’s all he got,” Felton said. “He can win you that one game, but then it’s over with. He’s hurt for the rest of series. He’s not young LeBron no more. Don’t do that to him no more.”
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Can LeBron lead the Lakers past the Rockets?
The Nuggets are now two wins ahead of the Lakers after beating the Memphis Grizzlies. With just three games left in the regular season, it seems unlikely that the latter will be able to secure the third seed. The Minnesota Timberwolves are a lock for the sixth seed in the West, and the Lakers’ almost-guaranteed first-round opponent seems to be the Houston Rockets.
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This means the Lakers will be up against a deep and talented opponent featuring young two-way players like Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr., as well as elite scorers Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant. To keep up, they will need Marcus Smart back to bolster their perimeter defense and Luka Doncic, who is currently in Europe getting treatment and hoping to speed up his recovery.
While the ask is still unreasonable for a 41-year-old to play at such a high rate in the playoffs, if there is anyone who might be able to answer this call is LBJ.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.