It looks like there is a high chance of basketball fanatics not seeing LeBron James in the playoffs this year. After having more loss than wins, the Los Angeles Lakers has a longshot in making it to the playoff.
In an article published by Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Lakers only has a six percent chance of making the playoffs. This is after the team suffered from a 117-113 loss to Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night and another loss to the Philadelphia Sixers on Sunday.
This is despite the Los Angeles Lakers pulling out a high-adrenaline win against the Celtics since the margin between the two teams is just one point or 129-128. The Lakers also lost to Indiana Pacers despite the latter team not having All-Star Victor Oladipo in the game.
Currently, the Los Angeles Lakers has a track record of 28-29. The team is currently sitting in the 10th place in the Western Conference, according to an article published in Express UK.
The article also said the Los Angeles Lakers need to come back from their All-Star break and be prepared to play at a high level, particularly on defense. If they fail to do so, the Lakers is definitely going to miss out the postseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers cannot really be fully blamed from the lackluster performance this season. The team lost Lebron James for a month after the NBA superstar suffered from a groin injury on Christmas Day.
Besides Lebron, Los Angeles Lakers players Lonzo Ball also suffered from a sprained ankle. Rajon Rondo also received hand-related injuries that caused him to be out from the court for two months.
The Los Angeles Lakers need to pass three teams if they want to reach the playoffs and not face the Golden State Warriors. The team is just four games behind Utah Jazz, which is currently sitting in the sixth place and has 25 games to play.
The Los Angeles Lakers should also pull a sweep against Utah Jazz in the two games before the end of the season. If they are successful to do so, they can have the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The team was also suggested to put more effort into their defense as it could save them from not reaching the playoffs. If the Los Angeles Lakers would just focus on outscoring teams, there could be chances that the players will end up in the draft lottery.
The Los Angeles Lakers were recommended by sports analysts to focus on repairing their broken chemistry. If they are successful to do that, reaching the playoffs is still possible.
