Before the NBA playoffs get underway next month, all teams in the bubble in Orlando will play eight games to decide seeding for the postseason. The Los Angeles Lakers have already punched their ticket to the playoffs, and these games will be nothing more than a tune-up for the title contenders, but that won't stop head coach Frank Vogel from giving everyone some run.
Vogel hopped on a Zoom call on Friday to talk to the L.A. media and spoke about his plans for the eight games to be played before the playoffs.
“I would think that we're going to use everyone,” Vogel said of his Lakers roster. “Obviously, we'll take it on a game-by-game basis. The goal of these seeding games is to get us to go into the playoffs, and just like it would be for the final eight games of the normal regular season, go into the playoffs as healthy and as sharp as we can be.
“Each day, we'll evaluate that. We'll measure the balance there about which guys will get in, how many minutes they're playing. Part of guys like Kostas and Devonte being apart of this camp and practices and getting opportunities in those games is just from a coaching standpoint to sharpen all your assets. You never know who you're going to need, and if you leave those guys over there without an opportunity, you may end up needing to call their number at some point.
“They may not be as ready as you want them to be, so we'll be hopeful to get everybody some run in those games, but at the same time, we're going to measure we're as strong as possible going into the playoffs as well.”
The primary concern for all players and coaches heading into this bubble in Florida next week is conditioning. No NBA player has been able to replicate anything close to playing a game at the league's level of competition for 48 minutes or more, which will result in some sloppy play and potentially some injuries as players try to get back up to speed.
With Vogel intent on getting all 17 of his players on the court at some point during all eight games, the Lakers will showcase the likes of superstars Anthony Davis and LeBron while also playing young players on two-way deals like Kostas Antetokounmpo, Devontae Cacok, and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.
Coaching will be a challenge during this NBA restart with Vogel and his staff set to be put to the test as they attempt to stay healthy and contend for what would be the Lakers' 17th title.
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