Rich Paul didn’t throw a parade over the Lakers’ impressive start. Instead, LeBron James’ agent issued a clear warning.
On the first episode of his new Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman, Paul said while the Lakers might appear strong now, their current structure isn’t designed for a deep playoff run.
“I personally don’t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders right now,” Paul stated. “At this moment, I don’t believe they have what it takes to reach the Western Conference Finals.”
Pointing to last season’s downfall, Paul identified the same challenge that plagued Los Angeles: being overwhelmed by teams with youthful energy, size, and speed.
“Once you enter the playoffs, we saw last year how they were challenged by athleticism and length. They struggled,” Paul explained. “Looking at it now… can the Lakers speed up their game? I don’t see that happening. Their style will be relatively easy to defend as playoffs approach.”
Rich Paul doesn’t think the Lakers are contenders
“I personally don’t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders, not right now. I don’t think they have enough to get to WCF… their style of play will be very easy to defend when you get into playoffs”
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Despite their 17-6 record, the Lakers remain in the “potential contender” category. The real conversation revolves around whether they belong alongside teams like Oklahoma City, Minnesota, or Denver—Paul seems doubtful.
This could also be Paul’s way of nudging the front office towards making a move. But an agent publicly casting doubt on his star player’s team? That’s likely not the narrative the Lakers want during this promising stretch.
Yet if Paul aimed to create a sense of urgency, he certainly succeeded.
