Los Angeles Lakers are in a real danger of missing out on the playoffs. Despite signing LeBron James. Oh what a royal mess. Making the first round of the playoffs was the bare minimum for this season to be considered a par season with the big splash expected in the upcoming summer.
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But one stretch of missed games for James and a fiasco regarding Anthony Davis trade where the team sold out all its young core later, playoffs seem like a tough equation.
While the Lakers schedule isn’t the toughest, it is the 14th most difficult schedule, based on the current win-loss record of their upcoming opponents, ease of travel and total number of back-to-backs.
There are some games that have to be considered as must wins against teams not fighting for a play off spots; but it is how they perform against the rest of the playoff teams that will decide if the season goes down as bust or if something can be salvaged out of this.
22nd February vs Houston Rockets
Lakers restart their schedule post the all-star break with a tough match-up against the Houston Rockets and the absolutely blazing James Harden.
With a rested CP3 and the trade deadline additions, Rockets will look to make a push as well to go as high on the Western Conference ladder as possible.
For Lakers a win would be a nice way to kick off a renewed playoff push and get the team motivated. While a loss wont break the season, a win might just set them on the path that could make the season.
2nd March vs Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks hold the best record in the NBA and for a good reason. With an unstoppable force down the middle in Giannis and more than capable supporting cast all around, the Bucks have proven to be unstoppable both inside and outside the paint.
A top-5 offense is also backed by a top-5 defense that has lead the Bucks to the best point differential in the NBA at present. Its one of those tough games that Lakers will have to win if they want to be considered as serious contenders even if they do make the playoffs.
7th March vs Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets are the best team in the West not named Golden State Warriors and they have a fight on their own hands to hold on to the 2nd spot and hold home court advantage as long as possible.
The Lakers lack defensive depth in the center spot and with Jokic and Nuggets that spells trouble for the Lakers. A win though would be a warning to other Western Conference teams to take the Lakers lightly in the playoffs at their own peril.
15th March vs Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors have already handed Lakers one of their worst defeats this season and that came in the absence of Kawhi Leonard. With Kawhi now fully fit and a new center in Marc Gasol, the raptors will be a match-up nightmare for the Lakers.
3rd April vs Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC are another team that are on fire in the top half of the West. Paul George is a legit MVP candidate and Westbrook is averaging a triple-double. Again.
OKC has gone 9-1 in its last 10 games and they wont be looking to reduce their pace in the West as any slip up could lead to a 2nd round match up against the Warriors and while most teams will claim to want to face the Warriors, very few actually want to.
5th April vs Golden State Warriors
Speaking of the Warriors. Boogie is back. They’ve gone on a 15-2 run in the last 17 games and Boogie isn’t up to speed yet. Do not make any mistakes. This is the greatest team ever on its home stretch and they would like nothing better than to put an end to the Lakers dreams of making the playoffs.
Irrespective of the Lakers inexperience, Warriors would not want to get caught up in a series against James in the very first round.
10th April vs Portland Trailblazers
Portland remains the one team that always is a force in the regular season at the very least. The Lakers have beaten them twice this season and have lost once.
The Blazers haven’t had a losing record against the Lakers since the time of prime Kobe and would not want to surrender that record easily. Both teams might come into this game with their playoff positions on the line so this wont be an easy game for either team. But the Lakers, depending on how the games before this go, might be in a do or die situation when this game comes around.
