That is according to Fox Sports NBA insider Chris Broussard.
The Lakers had their best win of the season on Thursday night as they beat the Boston Celtics with a buzzer-beater from Rajon Rondo.
LeBron James produced a monster display with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, clocking his 77th career triple-double.
Beating the Celtics put the Lakers to within a game-and-a-half of the playoff places.
Before James suffered a groin strain on Christmas Day, the Lakers were bouncing between fourth and fifth place in the Western Conference.
However the team struggled in his absence and fell to ninth, where they currently sit.
If they finish eighth, they will most likely play the Warriors in the first round of the NBA playoffs, as Steph Curry’s side are expected to win the conference.
Despite Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka claiming “I wouldn’t want to play us” in the playoffs, Broussard is less than convinced.
“Let’s get there first,” he said of Pelinka’s claim.
“I think they clearly will, because they’re only a game and a half out of eighth.
“But the place you really want to be is seventh because you cannot beat Golden State.
“I don’t care what anyone says, they can’t beat Golden State.
“Anyone else, as we’ve seen for many years in the East, LeBron doesn’t need a ton of help to beat most teams.
“I think he’s got more help than he had last year, and I think they can beat any team in the West, outside of Golden State.
“Right now, I think Houston and OKC are probably better, but give it time, the Lakers haven’t been properly healthy throughout the year, not just LeBron but Rondo.
“So if they can get better chemistry, I still think Lonzo is a good player, but Rondo is better right now.
“They’ve got to get to seventh, that’s the key. The Clippers are going to fall, Sacramento are young, they can overtake them, but they have to get to seventh or it’s over early.
“I think they can get to the conference finals if they can avoid Golden State.”