Schröder with LA Lakers announcement: James is the GOAT, but the playoffs are in danger

In the NBA, the hot phase of the season before the playoffs will soon begin.

Schröder with LA Lakers announcement: James is the GOAT, but the playoffs are in danger

In the NBA, the hot phase of the season before the playoffs will soon begin. Dennis Schröder sees the Los Angeles Lakers well positioned after the roster change. But the Lakers now have to win 17 of 24 games, the DBB star calculates. And then there is the question of who is actually the GOAT here?

National basketball player Dennis Schröder firmly believes in a playoff participation for the Los Angeles Lakers and sees the team well positioned with many newcomers. "Now we still have to win 17 and we can still lose 7. With the team we have here, if we play like this - we can do it," said Schröder before the NBA All-Star break. The Lakers had won the first game in the supposed best line-up on Wednesday evening against the New Orleans Pelicans 120:102.

Shortly before the transfer window closed, the Lakers had extensively rebuilt their roster through swap deals. Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley are no longer part of the team, and newcomers are D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba. He and Westbrook had a good relationship, Schröder said, "but we got a lot of good parts with the trade."

Schröder justified the fact that the Lakers have had such a disappointing season so far and are in 13th place outside of the playoff places in the All-Star break with a lack of team chemistry and a lack of willingness to compromise. "There weren't many who wanted to make sacrifices. I'm really like that: whatever I have to put up with to win, I'll do it. But not many in the NBA are just like that. In the end, I don't think it would have worked out and I think we can do a lot, a lot, the way we are now."

Nobody but the players are to blame for the situation. "It was all up to us. We can't blame anyone else, not even the coaches. We all have to look in the mirror and say: 'Hey, we didn't manage to play team basketball'. That's what I look at of course on me first and everyone should do that," said Schröder. "I think we're going to start rolling now and then attack."

Of course, Schröder also commented on his teammate LeBron James and the eternal debate about the best basketball player of all time. The so-called GOAT discussion is currently running again due to three events. 38-year-old LeBron James broke the NBA's points record last week and now has 38,411 points. Michael Jordan turns 60 this Friday. And as if that wasn't enough, the NBA is getting together these days for the annual All-Star Weekend.

In Salt Lake City, this year's All-Star Weekend venue, LeBron James will be honored once again and the GOAT debate will pick up steam again. For Schröder, however, it is not a debate. He has a clear opinion. "It's difficult. Both should get their flowers. But I'm in LeBron's era, he's been doing this for 20 years and it doesn't look like he's going to stop. Doing 20 years in the top league in the world, he has the scoring record, has four championships, MVPs - so what else should he do to make it one day? I'm definitely with LeBron," said the captain of the German national basketball team.

Schröder is playing for the Los Angeles Lakers with James for the second time in his career and is very grateful for that. "The guy is the GOAT, and being able to play with him and be in the dressing room, being able to learn from him and being in training means a lot to me, of course. I'm still learning a lot in my tenth year," said the man from Braunschweig .