With LeBron James returning, are Lakers a lock for a spot in the NBA Finals?

LeBron James is expected to return to the lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers before the end of the regular season.

James and the Lakers have been insisting that if he and the Lakers are healthy in the postseason, they remain the team to beat. But he may get plenty of debaters on that. But it got us to thinking: If LeBron returns, can you just presume they’ll earn a spot in the NBA Finals?

This week's NBA roundtable breaks down the Lakers' fortunes and how injuries could impact their title hopes.

Paste BN Sports' Matt Eppers moderated the discussion with a panel of NBA experts from around the Paste BN Network: Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina of Paste BN Sports and J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star.

Who is the most dangerous NBA play-in team outside of LA?

SportsPulse: The NBA Roundtable identifies a few potential play-in teams not named the Lakers that could make life difficult for a top seed in the first round.

SportsPulse, Paste BN