Following the All-Star Game, LeBron James framed the last 23 games of the 2022-23 season as being as critical as any regular season games he's had in his very, very long career. That's a lot of games, and plenty of important ones. But with the Lakers once again on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff/play-in race, he's absolutely correct that they need to hit the ground running hard to even have a chance down the stretch. It can't be a step forward and a step back, two steps forward one step back and so on. The Lakers need to pile up some wins, starting Thursday against the Warriors. It's a tall order to jump over multiple teams, and one the mathematicians don't think the Lakers can do. Whether looking at Basketball Reference, FiveThirtyEight or any other purveyor of analytical projections, the odds favor the Lakers landing outside the top 10 when the season is all said and done. And it makes sense, even if you think the Lakers are improved following the trade deadline. The math is daunting, because if the teams in front of the Lakers just play .500 ball, LA has to be significantly better than that to jump over them. The good news? They play a lot of games against those teams (starting Thursday). So if they win 'em, they can make up ground pretty fast. And even better? Definitionally, if the Lakers get in, they've been playing good basketball to do it. (They can't move up, otherwise. Backing in is basically impossible.) And if they're in, it's a fairly safe bet that teams would rather not play LeBron and A.D. in the first round. Cliche as it sounds, that's no ordinary 8-seed. From there, it's another edition of deep dives into the new guys acquired by the Lakers. Today, it's Mo Bamba, with guest Philip Rossman-Reich, host of Locked On Magic. He explains what Bamba's strengths and weaknesses are, why things didn't work out in Orlando, and how he might have more luck with different teammates and a major change of scenery in L.A.. Playing with LeBron won't hurt, that's for sure. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The math doesn't favor the Lakers. Should it be a little more kind? SEGMENT 2: A deep dive on Mo Bamba with Philip Rossman-Reich of Locked on Magic. SEGMENT 3: Why context matters with Bamba, and how that could help the Lakers. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON BetterHelp This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/LockedOn and get on your way to being your best self. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get started FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices