After three games, the Lakers are 0-3 and the question becomes can LeBron actually carry this Lakers team deep into the playoffs?

The honest answer is no he cannot.

In these first three games, we have watched the Lakers play tough and lose close. The signing of LeBron ensured that the Lakers will make the playoffs this year, because nothing is stopping the best player in the world from making another playoff appearance. However, sitting in the Western Conference the team will not enter the playoffs at any seed higher than the 4th.

As far as making a deep playoff run, LeBron will be highly disappointed. LeBron left Cleveland out of exhaustion and lack of help; and joined a Lakers team where he will face the same problems. In Cleveland, LeBron was teamed up with All-Star Kevin Love and it was just enough to get him to the NBA Finals.

In Los Angeles, LeBron is the only player that can truly drop 20 or more points on a consistent basis. As a result, teams are going to focus on stopping LeBron and force his team to make shots and as we’ve seen in the first three games of the season, they can’t.

Yes, LeBron is arguably the best player in the game right now, but basketball is a team game and in an era where super teams are being created left and right there’s nothing one man can do on his own no matter how great.

Best case scenario for the Lakers this season would be making it to the playoffs as the 4th seed and getting eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by a highly-talented Warriors team that is just too much to keep up with. On the other hand, the worst case scenario would be seeing this team barely make the playoffs and then watching LeBron get swept in the first round of the playoffs by a team he has tried so hard to beat in the past four seasons.

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