Lakers: LeBron James' Preseason Prediction Looks Very Accurate Right Now

The Lakers season has not been nearly what fans in Los Angeles had hoped. Adding in a number of aging veterans this offseason, things would have had to go very right in order to make things work. And while they've managed to find more success as of late, a 21-20 record is certainly less than ideal. 

Before the Lakers even held a practice together prior to the season starting, LeBron James had a bold comparison to another professional team. And right now, it's not looking great for him.

James compared this Lakers team to the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by another generational talent in his sport, Tom Brady. That Bucs team started a mediocre 7-5 before catching fire and running through the playoffs en route to a Superbowl Championship. 

The Lakers completely went away from their championship roster this year. They trade for Russell Westbrook and added a number of aging veterans. That list includes Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Trevor Ariza. 

But at the halfway point of the season, James' prediction is pretty accurate. This Lakers team has been middling at best, but there is time for them to go on a hot streak, much like the 2020 Bucs did. 

Just from the standpoint of starting off slow and having new guys on the team. New system. Guys trying to figure it out, guys trying to figure out how to play with LeBron and AD and now incorporating Russ and just now everybody figuring out what their role is. And what made it beautiful for the Bucs is that once it came together, it came together and you saw what happened with that. -Carmelo Anthony

There could be a comparison made between the two teams right now, but it's all about how the Lakers finish. They certainly would have preferred to not be in this position and have their winning ways established. It's going to be an uphill battle from here on out.