The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in third place in the Western Conference with a 47-26 record and have an MVP candidate in Luka Doncic, who leads the league in scoring with 33.6 points per game. He has been on a scoring tear not seen since Michael Jordan. And yet, the doubts persist.
Why Iman Shumpert Believes LeBron James and Luka Doncic Can’t Lead the Lakers Past the Second Round
Former NBA champion Iman Shumpert, on his podcast “Shump Street,” said the Lakers’ playoff ceiling is the second round.
“I keep telling y’all they’re not going past the second round. I don’t know how many shows I’ve been on with ESPN saying that. Whatever they do past the first round, bravo.”
“I’m happy for them, but we are not expecting the Lakers to do anything beyond the second round, if that. I didn’t think they’d be at the top of the West with these other teams right now, but crazier things have happened.”
He added, “Seeing them at the top should excite us, but if you’re the rest of the league, you know LeBron isn’t doing this for no reason. He’s looking for matchups, and y’all better not let him get what he wants, because he knows how to win. And Luka is a bona fide superstar; he’s really taken the league by the horns and shown us he’s the number one scorer in the game.”
Iman Shumpert says the Lakers CEILING is the 2nd round of the playoffs:
“I keep telling y’all they’re not going past the 2nd round. Whatever they do past the 1st round, bravo. I’m happy for them but we are not expecting the Lakers to do anything else besides the 2nd round, if… pic.twitter.com/PStUHQA6W1
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 27, 2026
Shumpert is not the only former NBA player who believes the Lakers are only a second-round team. Hall of Famer Paul Pierce echoed those comments recently on the “No Fouls Given” podcast.
“Like I said throughout the course of the year, the Lakers won’t make it out of the first round. Because I wasn’t sure if LeBron could play the role he was currently playing. Now that he’s morphed into this guy, where all right, I’ll be our 3rd-best player, on some nights 2nd or 1st.
But he is embracing that now, and the chemistry looks a lot better. And now they’re playing the best basketball of the year. Do I think they get out of the 2nd round? I think that’s their ceiling,” Pierce said on the “No Fouls Given” podcast.
However, the numbers have painted a different picture regarding Doncic’s criticism. He is averaging 47.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 33.6 minutes per night.
“You hear the whole crowd chanting ‘MVP,’ that’s what I think every player wants to hear,” Dončić said, according to The Athletic. “I got a lot of goosebumps, so it was pretty special.”
“I think he’s playing as well as anyone in basketball,” Redick said after Thursday’s game. “He’s really elevated his play at a really important time for our team. He’s elevated the play of his teammates.” So, there’s some optimism surrounding Doncic.
But the same can’t be said about James, who is averaging only 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 33.5 minutes. At the same time, it’s important to note that he’s 41 now.
