Getty HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 16: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) When JJ Redick addressed reporters last week, the head coach stated that he assumed they were the matchup that every Western Conference team wanted. Before the hot streak in March, the Lakers were often called pretenders. The surging Lakers quickly lost their power late in the