The Los Angeles Lakers are near the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference but that hasn’t stopped them from winning games. In fact, they have won eight of their last 11 games including wins against playoff opponents such as the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Denver Nuggets.
They also won against the San Antonio Spurs who are slightly out of the playoff picture but are looking to make a run for the postseason with the eventual return of Kawhi Leonard.
The young Lakers core of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle have been re-energized with the inclusion of Isaiah Thomas in the trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers in February.
But the loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night hurt their chances badly.
Could the Lakers still make the playoffs? Technically, yes but they have to finish off the season strong if they want to get there. At the same time, they need certain teams to lose for a shot at making it as the eighth seed.
According to ESPN’s BPI Playoff Odds, the Lakers have less than 0.1% chance of making the playoffs. That’s an insanely low number but the standings show that they aren’t eliminated from the playoffs just yet. It’s an improbable chance and a nearly impossible chance, but then, crazier things have happened in the NBA before.
Here’s what the Lakers’ current standing is and what the future looks like for them:
Los Angeles Lakers
Record as of March 14: 31-37
Remaining games: 14
- playoff teams: 9
BPI chances: <0.1
With 14 games remaining, the Lakers will be going up against nine playoff-bound teams. The toughest opponents they will face are the Utah Jazz (twice), the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Houston Rockets. They will need to make sure they win their other games to at least make it to 40 wins and then add to that number against these tougher opponents.
Here’s a look at the other teams that the Lakers can statistically catch up to:
Utah Jazz
Record as of March 14: 38-30
Remaining games: 14
- playoff teams: 6
BPI chances: 86.6%
L.A. Clippers
Record as of March 14: 37-29
Remaining games: 16
- playoff teams: 12
BPI chances: 44.6%
San Antonio Spurs
Record as of March 14: 38-30
Remaining games: 14
- playoff teams: 11
BPI chances: 76.1%
Denver Nuggets
Record as of March 14: 37-31
Remaining games: 14
- playoff teams: 11
BPI chances: 26.8%
Among these teams, the Jazz are likely going to make the playoffs due to their strong play the last two months. They have won 19 of their last 21 games so even if it’s still mathematically possible for them to lose many of their remaining games, they have the greatest chance of clinching a playoff berth. Their 86.6% BPI accounts for the fact that they have an easier schedule than the rest of these teams, making it more likely that they make the postseason.
If there’s a playoff team that may lose many of their remaining games, thereby giving another team the opportunity to get to the playoffs, it’s the Clippers.
Remember that in January, the Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons in one of the most shocking trades of the season. The franchise’s goals for the year changed. Rather than try and make the playoffs, they were going to rebuild instead. In other words, even if they weren’t saying it, they were going to tank the season. That was the intention of the front office. Even so, that intention hasn’t trickled down to the team itself as they have been winning more than they were expected to without their star power forward.
But the Clippers will be facing 12 playoff teams and among the non-playoff teams, one of them is the Spurs. They have the toughest assignment of these teams and if the Lakers want to make the playoffs, they have to hope and pray that their hometown rival loses at least 13 of their remaining 16 games.
Impossible you say? It gets even more difficult than that.
Aside from the Clippers losing and the Lakers winning, the Nuggets and the Spurs also have to lose big time.
The Spurs have lost 11 of their last 15 games and are in a tailspin the likes of which have never been seen in the Gregg Popovich era. Leonard may be the solution they need but he is not going to be 100%. How that plays out for them is anyone’s guess but if they continue losing as much as they have been, that’s good news for the Lakers faithful.
As for the Nuggets, they have won 11 of their last 17 games dating back to the start of February. Nikola Jokic has been a huge revelation and is on the verge of superstardom if he isn’t there already.
However, five of those six losses came in the last nine games. In order for the Lakers to catch up, the Nuggets also need to lose at least 11 of their remaining 14 games.
The purple and gold team needs a miracle to get to the playoffs. The most they can do to control their fate is win most, if not all, of their remaining games. For that to happen, coach Luke Walton has to get his team to focus on playing together and to play with a sense of urgency. At the same time, they will need Brandon Ingram back in the lineup to bolster their chances.
If Randle can sustain his strong play since their win against the Cavaliers last weekend, the Lakers will continue to be in the playoff hunt, something that is unfamiliar to the team’s youngsters.
Lakers fans have been longing for the team to get back to the playoffs since the 2012-13 season, a drought that has tested the faith of many but has been replenished in recent years with the inclusion of some good, young talent.
Whether that infusion translates to a playoff push this late is yet to be determined. Nevertheless, no matter what happens this season, the Lakers have a bright future ahead of them.
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