NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Believes All Is Not Lost For Lakers Playoff Aspirations

The odds are stacked against the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but there remains some glimmer of hope. NBA veteran Carmelo Anthony is among those who are confident that the purple and gold can still make a big push with the NBA playoffs nearing.

The 37-year-old All-Star is aware that injuries have been a big problem for the Lakers this season. Anthony was sidelined in the last five games of Los Angeles due to a hamstring strain.

But being the competitor that he is, the 10-time All-Star is confident that they can still make something out of the season and make a big push toward the NBA playoffs.

“I think we’re built for it. I think we’re built for the postseason, it’s just some things we can’t control. Injuries we can’t control, you don’t know how that’s gonna come, you don’t know the effect that’s gonna have on that individual or the team as well, so those are things we can’t control,” the 2013 NBA scoring champion told reporters, including Spectrum SN.

“But I think now the second half of the season, only 24 games left, so it's crunch time and we definitely need to change our approach,” Anthony continued.

While Anthony and his teammates LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook are no strangers when it comes to “crunch time,” it remains to be seen if they can keep themselves healthy in their last 24 regular-season games.

James, Davis and Anthony have had their share of injuries, along with several other players on the roster such as Trevor Ariza, Avery Bradley and Kendrick Nunn. Nunn has yet to play a game this season for the Lakers. Although these names are not expected to single-handedly turn things around for the purple and gold, they do have roles that can help the club’s top stars.

Finally, Westbrook has hardly shown the ability to step up when James and Davis are unable to play. With the season fast winding down, the 2017 NBA MVP’s chances of proving himself are dwindling.

The Lakers are at the ninth spot of the Western Conference standings, a position that most did not expect them to be in. It remains to be seen how they can improve their position and hopefully avoid playoff complications or the play-in tournament.