VIDEO: JaVale McGee Makes Extremely Bold Claim About Lakers' Chances if LeBron Never Got Hurt
By Zack Jiang
JaVale McGee will be a free agent this offseason, and it's uncertain if the Lakers will be bringing him back to Staples Center. Despite the lack of clarity over his future in LA, McGee had nothing but good things to say about the team. On FS1's Undisputed, the big man even claimed that the Lakers could've made the Western Conference Finals if LeBron James hadn't been injured.
"I feel like we (the Lakers) definitely could've made it to the Western Conference Finals and met up with the Warriors. The way that LeBron got injured ... we never got to mesh and blend." — @JaValeMcGee pic.twitter.com/XnBTPoULWH
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 5, 2019
McGee made some good arguments, as he pointed out that LeBron's injury never allowed the team to mesh. The Lakers had a hand-full of new faces and were the fourth seed in the West before LeBron went down with a groin injury on Christmas Day. However, making the Western Conference Finals is still a pretty hopeful claim.
LeBron is one of the best when he is locked in, but the Lakers' talent simply didn't stack up to the top teams in the Western Conference. McGee even said himself that the Lakers need another All Star to pair with LeBron.
"I feel like LeBron only needs, especially with the young guys that he has right now, is one All-Star to add to his roster, and he can at least make it to the Western Conference Finals." — @JaValeMcGee pic.twitter.com/xFJGKqYjr7
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 5, 2019
The Lakers are loaded with cap space and assets so they have several means by which they can upgrade their roster this offseason. Barring injury, we'll be able to see if McGee's evaluation of the Lakers' talent really stacks up next season, and whether or not they'll get the All-Star pairing they're so desperately seeking.