Lakers' best interest watch (7th seed goal)

[ArbitraryWater]

Kawai playing a back to back!!!

@RMWG but he's injured! Did the science of him sitting out change?!

[ArbitraryWater]

The problem for the Lakers is, a lot has to go right for them to finish 6th.

They have Rockets, Jazz, Clips without PG, Suns at home, Jazz left.

Depending on how hard the Suns will want that game (or if they rest players), they could go 5-0 or at worst 3-2.

GSW has 4 games left, plays at Denver tonight, are only 1 game ahead of the Lakers and Lakers have the H2H.

So Lakers could easily fall into the 5th slot.

So Lakers on the one hand would be best served to keep going, but then they could leap GSW.

The problem is, if they drop 1 game, the Pelicans could easily leap them, because the Pelicans have a piss easy schedule (questionable how much the Kings and Grizz will want the following games before they play Knicks who are also penciled in and then at Minnesota). And the Timberwolves could also easily leap them if the Lakers drop 1 game, cause they have the H2H. Timberwolves also have a piss easy schedule: Blazers, Nets, Spurs, Pelicans away.

If GSW had just beaten the Wolves at home a week ago, we wouldnt have these problems. GSW would be more firmly secured into the 5th spot and Wolves wouldnt be too close of a threat to overtaking the Lakers.


So in the Lakers' best interest is:


GSW keep winning so they stay 5th, Lakers keep the pace to stay infront of LAC/Pels/Minny (Lakers will beat Clips to overtake them), and Pels drop 1 game in case Lakers drop 1 game (Lakers have H2H). Clips will lose enough games and Minny are behind as of now, but also have a super easy schedule and the H2H against the Lakers, so they could reasonably leap the Lakers also if the Lakers lose 1 of these 5 games which could well happen.


So the window and room for error for the Lakers to fall into that 6th spot is extremely slim.

You can take the 7th spot also, if the Pelicans finish 6th that would make a lot of sense for R2 ambitions as well; but it would then include the trickyness of a play-in, against either the Clippers or the Timberwolves.

[Nike D'Antoni]

Jazz - Nets & Blazers - Wolves close ones.

[Nike D'Antoni]

Wow Jazz & Wolves lost.

[ArbitraryWater]

Jazz gone anyway.

Wolves is huge.

Refer to:
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...9th-seed/page2

[Nike D'Antoni]

Denver resting Jokic vs Pelicans, Warriors, Suns hurting the Lakers.

[Manny98]

Lakers vs Clippers on Wednesday will decide the 6th seed

[ArbitraryWater]

Denver resting Jokic vs Pelicans, Warriors, Suns hurting the Lakers.

hurting Lakers?

What?


This is brilliant for them. Keeps GS in the 5th slot.

[D-Wait]

Lakers vs Clippers on Wednesday will decide the 6th seed

Must watch. It's just crazy they really have a shot to MAKE the playoffs after all the turmoil this season.

[ArbitraryWater]

This is bad now. Lakers will need to drop a game somewhere to fall behind the Warriors (while winning the Clippers one) and hope GSW win out, but somehow hope Clippers and Pelicans drop a game somewhere so they can still stay 6th. Odds of Lakers finishing 6th now are extremely slim.

[kawhileonard2]

Must watch. It's just crazy they really have a shot to MAKE the playoffs after all the turmoil this season.

How so? They were ahead of Memphis to win the title.

[kawhileonard2]

https://www.basketball-reference.com...ason_odds.html

Lakers and Denver same odds and ahead of Memphis.

[1987_Lakers]

https://www.basketball-reference.com...ason_odds.html

Lakers and Denver same odds and ahead of Memphis.

Why does Memphis have an over/under of 49.5 wins while the Lakers were just at 44.5? Hell, Denver at 51.5.

[kawhileonard2]

Need to focus on odds not wins.

[Indian guy]

This is bad now. Lakers will need to drop a game somewhere to fall behind the Warriors (while winning the Clippers one) and hope GSW win out, but somehow hope Clippers and Pelicans drop a game somewhere so they can still stay 6th. Odds of Lakers finishing 6th now are extremely slim.

Not good indeed. At their current pace and given Clippers and GS' remaining schedules, 5th seed looks like a good possibility. Nobody wants to face Phx in the 1st round. 6th would be ideal.