Let's look at the Los Angeles Lakers playoff scenarios.
The Los Angeles Lakers are back to being the talk of the town, adding Luka Doncic alongside LeBron James and the co. The duo helped the Lakers get to the second seed after nearly five-years. However, injuries have halted their progress as they have lost the last four games, prior to the Suns’ matchup.
The Lakers sit comfortably in the West in a guaranteed playoff spot but the things could change fast as the Timberwolves and Warriors gain their form.
The Los Angeles Lakers are 40-25, prior to their game against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers could have a identical record as the Nuggets (43-25), Rockets (43-25) and Grizzlies (43-25) if they win their next three matches.
Lakers have played the fewest games among the playoffs candidate, only 65 in the season. Their contenders have played 67-68 games.
If the Lakers need to qualify for the NBA Playoffs on a guaranteed spot, here are the scenarios:
Timberwolves are 39-29, Warriors are 39-28 and Clippers are 37-30. On the other hand, Lakers are 40-25, a close race for the guaranteed playoffs spot in the West.
The duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James might be one of the best duo’s in history. The duo have already combined for multiple 30-point games and are a constant triple-double threat.
Rise of Austin Reaves have been tremendous for the Lakers. He is averaging 21.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists in the last 10 games. The young guard also known as “White Mamba” stepped up in the absence of Doncic and LeBron against the Nuggets. He recorded 37 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists in the game.
Lakers’ biggest weakness is the Center position. Although, Jaxson Hayes has improved his game and has been influential but the Lakers have zero depth in this department. Alex Len has been horrendous in his minutes when playing the center position.
After their clash against the Suns, which ended in a 107-96 win, the Lakers went on to record three wins and four losses in the next seven games. As of now, they are currently seated in the fourth spot of the standings with a 44-29 tally. The JJ Redick-side has nine regular season games remaining, and with their inconsistency and continuous struggles, they would aim to make the most of those games.
According to the latest scenario, the Lakers hold 92.6% chances of making it to the playoffs.
| Playoff Seeds | Qualification Chances |
| 2nd | 0.5 |
| 3rd | 5.5 |
| 4th | 18.8 |
| 5th | 29.3 |
| 6th | 20.0 |
| 7th | 11.0 |
| 8th | 7.5 |
Source: Basketball Reference
As per the latest scenario, the Lakers hold the maximum chances of finishing fifth in the standings. They hold 20% chances of finishing the regular season in the 6th spot. They can also finish fourth with the chances of 18.8% or can go below to seventh spot with the chances of 11%. In addition, the Lakers can move to the eighth spot, which will put them against the Thunder in the first round. While the Lakers have a better all-time record against the Thunder, they latter won their only clash in the current season. Not only this, but also let’s not forget why they are seeded on top.
The Lakers can also move up to the second and third spots, but the chances are next to zero. In their next game, they will be up against the Grizzlies, the team that holds the exact same record as them. Later, they have four matches against two teams seeded above them, the Thunder and the Rockets. They will also clash against the Warriors in one of the remaining regular season games. While the Lakers hold better records against all the teams, concerns loom in the Lakers camp, owing to their current form.
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