The Los Angeles Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference, but head coach Frank Vogel understands regular-season results mean nothing come playoff time.
Vogel's comments came before the latest much-anticipated showdown between the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers:
Lakers coach Frank Vogel: “When the playoffs start, all of these regular season games won’t matter.”
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 8, 2020
Of course, finishing with the best record and establishing home-court advantage would be nice for Vogel and the Lakers, but anything can happen in the playoffs.
While the games might be meaningless in hindsight, Sunday's showdown against the lippers will have a playoff atmosphere.
Both teams come into the contest red-hot, with the Lakers winning 10 of their last 11 (including Friday's victory over the Milwaukee Bucks) and the Clippers entering with a six-game win streak.
The Clippers got the best of the Lakers in their last matchup on Christmas Day, with Kawhi Leonard scoring 35 points while also adding 12 rebounds and five assists in a dominant performance. The Clippers are 2-0 against the Lakers so far. LeBron James and co. will hope to get their vengeance on Sunday.
Vogel's words might have some implications in terms of how the Lakers choose to use James and Anthony Davis down the stretch.
While James is making a late-season push for MVP and previously stated he does not believe in load management, the Lakers cannot afford him feeling anything less than his best in the playoffs.
Especially considering LeBron has dealt with a groin issue in recent years, Vogel and co. might be wise to give him plenty of rest. Davis is in a similar situation given his injury history as well as his undeniable value on both sides of the floor.
Vogel could very well change his rotations if the Lakers have the No. 1 seed locked up within the next few weeks. After all, the priority is still winning an NBA title.
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