If people would’ve said at the start of the season that the Los Angeles Lakers were going to be in this year’s play-in tournament, they would’ve looked absolutely insane. The defending champions entered this season with the most stacked roster, at least on paper. However, their Achilles heel of the team has been injuries and COVID hence why the Lakers have dropped to seventh in the competitive Western Conference.
Lakers Need To Buy Into the Play-In
That said, the Lakers now find themselves in the play-in tournament. Their team captain, LeBron James and several other players have made it clear that they don’t want to be in this situation but unfortunately, they have no choice. Head coach Frank Vogel said that there’s just too many risks that can happen in a solitary do-or-die game.
“For me I’m unafraid of the play-in tournament with this team,” Vogel said. “I feel like we can beat anybody, but we definitely want to finish in the top six. There’s just too many things that can happen in a one-game series: foul trouble, roll of an ankle, anything like that could pop up. So we definitely want to finish in the top six, it’s a high priority for us.”
While a six day break would really do wonders for this team, the Lakers are likely headed to the play-in tournament since they don't own the tie-breakers versus both the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers. They don’t have control of their own destiny, so it’s best for them to start embracing the play-in madnesss. Here’s why the play-in tournament could actually be a blessing in disguise for them:
The matchups are more advantageous
If the Lakers end up in the seventh seed, they will likely face the Golden State Warriors or the Memphis Grizzlies. The defending champions should be favored in both matchups. If the Lakers win this, they will then play the team in position of the second seed which is the Phoenix Suns—who the Lakers just defeated without James and Dennis Schroder. The Suns are one of the teams that the Lakers perfectly match up with since they don’t have a player that can stop Anthony Davis or even James, when he’s healthy and cooking.
And AD puts the exclamation point on a #LakersWin
(📺: @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/TyrsYxWzwU
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 10, 2021
If the Lakers continue to fight for the sixth seed and miraculously steal it, it then chances are they’ll be going up against the Los Angeles Clippers—who believe it or not, have been better than their 2019-20 selves. While the Lakers have made it clear that they don’t fear any team, it would still be best for James and company to ramp up before facing their biggest threat in the Western Conference right away.
“This is the predicament that we’re in right now,” Kyle Kuzma said. “Whether we’re still trying to fight for that sixth or be in the play-in, we just got to keep in mind it’s all about trying to get healthy and compete right now, try to win games every time we’re out there. (If) the chips fall where they fall and we’re in the play-in, we have to play a No. 1 or 2 seed, then we’ll see how it goes,” added Kuzma.
LeBron must find his rhythm
James, who was expected to be in a playing jersey versus both the Knicks and Rockets, is going to sit out once again. This was disappointing given that Lakers fans are worried about his ramp up and if there’s enough time for him to get into playoff form. The play-in tournament will give James more reps with the team and hopefully a chance to build chemistry with center Andre Drummond.
A storybook ending
Davis has mentioned this a couple of times—the challenges the team are going through now will make up for a great ending. That’s championship confidence right there from the Brow. Sadly, history isn't on the side of the defending champions this time. In the modern era of basketball, no repeat champion’s two best players have missed more time than James and Davis this season (56). No championship team has also won the title as the sixth seed or lower.
"Every game for us is crucial. Guys came out and left it all on the floor."@AntDavis23 joined the TNT Tuesday crew after the @Lakers' big win. pic.twitter.com/cysMvrZS1l
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 12, 2021
This Lakers team is in it for an uphill battle. They successfully finished last season on top despite the challenges they had to endure in the NBA bubble. Can they do it again this year? Probably yes, if they're healthy and ready to go. It’s clear that the defending champions are confident and believe that they’re the best team in the league. As Alex Caruso said, champions don’t make excuses.
Caruso: “You got every excuse in the world for us this year, we've had injuries, we've had COVID sit-outs, we've had the short offseason. We've been given every excuse, or every opportunity to make an excuse, but champions don't make excuses, champions find a way to get it done.”
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