As the NBA barrels toward the finish line of a grueling 82-game marathon, the postseason picture is finally coming into focus. While teams like the Pistons, Thunder, and Spurs have virtually locked up their playoff berths, barring a catastrophic collapse, the conversation for the middle of the pack has shifted from if they’ll make it to how they’ll perform once they get there.
Heavyweights like the Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers, Nuggets, Lakers and Timberwolves are all essentially guaranteed a top-six seed, avoiding the dreaded Play-In Tournament.
However, for the Los Angeles Lakers, the final few weeks aren’t just about seeding; they are about finding a pulse before the lights get too bright. It’s the time of year when you either get hot or get sent home early, and right now, L.A. is lukewarm at best.
The Lakers Struggle Against Teams with Winning Records
The playoffs are a different beast entirely, but history rarely lies: teams that can’t beat the elite during the regular season usually don’t last long in May. This is the “red flag” currently flying over Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers currently hold a middling 17-16 record against opponents with a winning record.
Even more concerning than the win-loss total is the manner of their defeats; when the Lakers lose to the league’s best, they often get run off the floor. This has put head coach JJ Redick under the microscope, as he has struggled to adjust on the fly or stop the bleeding once a game starts to slip away.
Despite boasting the league’s leading scorer in Luka Doncic and a reliable second option in Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ inconsistency against top-tier talent is a shared burden with their rivals in Denver. The Nuggets are actually in worse shape in this department, holding a 15-17 record against winning teams. For both squads, this is a massive concern heading into the postseason.
Out of the top six teams in the Western Conference, the Lakers and Nuggets are the two most vulnerable against high-level competition, raising serious questions about their ability to survive a seven-game series against a disciplined opponent despite having veterans like LeBron James and Nikola Jokic.
A High-Stakes Schedule for the Lakers’ Final Stretch
The Lakers have a golden opportunity to flip the narrative over the next two weeks. They are set to play six of their next seven games at home, but the “friendly” schedule is a bit of a misnomer. Three of those matchups are against playoffs-caliber opponents: the Knicks, Timberwolves, and Nuggets.
You can’t enter the playoffs as a “contender” if you’re dropping home games to the very teams you’ll likely see in the second round. Currently sitting on a 5-5 record over their last 10 games and a mediocre 3-3 mark since the All-Star break, the Lakers are the definition of “irregular.”
The schedule for the remainder of the season is anything but easy, and if the Lakers don’t show they can compete with the heavy hitters now, they might find themselves as just another first-round exit.
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