One of the reasons Los Angeles Lakers fans don't think highly of the LeBron James era in team history is the fact that the team has had to go through the play-in tournament in three of the last four seasons. In all, other than that 2020 NBA championship the Lakers won, they have had four play-in tournament appearances and two other seasons in which they missed the playoffs since James came to town.
But this year has had a different feel ever since the monumental Luka Doncic trade two months ago. Despite a couple of slumps, the Lakers have looked like a different team with a different soul, and this spring, their path through the postseason will be different.