Before last night's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Lakers were on a roll. The team had won five consecutive games and nine straight on their home floor of the Staples Center. Los Angeles' recent hot streak has created some buzz around the team about a potential playoff run.

Unfortunately, the Lakers making the playoffs this season may be a stretch. Luke Walton's squad has stepped it up as of late and are starting to show what they can be in the near future, but the timing isn't ideal with the Denver Nuggets, L.A. Clippers, and Utah Jazz well ahead of them and battling for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Whether the Lakers make the playoffs or not, Julius Randle and his teammates know what this season is about after years of player development in Los Angeles. Randle spoke to the media after the team's practice on Tuesday about the goal for this season.

“Last year, we really weren't playing for anything,” Randle said. “We were playing to obviously develop us young players, but this year we feel like we're playing to develop a culture. We're learning how to win games. We come in expecting to win games.”

With 19 games left in the 2017-19 NBA season for the Lakers, the team will continue to focus on building for the future with what is expected to be an eventful offseason ahead for the purple and gold. Los Angeles has been positioning themselves for some major moves in NBA free agency.

julius randle, lonzo ball, Lakers

Regardless of whether Los Angeles is playoff bound or not, the team is expected to make a major splash in free agency this summer with their sights rumored to be set on LeBron James and Paul George.

As for the final 19 games, if the team can bounce back quickly from the loss to the Blazers, the playoffs may still be a possibility for Los Angeles. It's a longshot that Randle and company do end up clinching a playoff spot and ending the long drought, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility if they continue to play at a high level as they have been since the All-Star break.

On Thursday, the Lakers will host the Orlando Magic at the Staples Center in what should be the perfect opponent to help them get back on track. Following the matchup against the Magic, Walton's team will head to the Mile High City to go head-to-head against the Nuggets before heading back home to play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in what will be a highly anticipated game for obvious reasons.