Before the start of the season, ESPN gathered a group of experts to predict the championship of the season, the Nets ranked first, and the Lakers were ranked second by the experts. At this stage, the performance of the Lakers and the Nets has not met expectations, especially the Lakers. The Lakers are hardly a championship-winning team right now, because now they have to think about one problem first: playing in the playoffs. The Lakers are currently only 9th in the West, with a winning percentage of less than 50%, and there are data statistics agencies that show that the Lakers' current probability of reaching the playoffs is only 24%. Halfway through the season, the Lakers still have time, and this time they really have a big challenge.
Is it still possible for the Lakers to make the playoffs this season? We only need to analyze the Lakers' lineup configuration and the environment they are in to get the answer. The Lakers' current roster has obvious flaws, such as outside projection. Among the Lakers' starting 5 players, Westbrook has this obvious projection weakness, and in order to help the Westbrook Lakers, they also gave up the double interior lineup used in the past, allowing Davis to play center. The Lakers' current three-point shooting rate is only 35%, only ranked 19th in the NBA, if the Lakers want to put a shooter lineup will definitely sacrifice defense, defense is the cornerstone of the Lakers' victory. Even if the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, their defensive efficiency is very high, and they concede the second fewest points per game in the league, making them a strong defensive team. Two years ago, in the Season when the Lakers won the championship, their defense reached an impenetrable level.
The Lakers' defensive efficiency at the beginning of the season ranked last in the league, and currently ranks only 17th in the league. The Lakers' defense wasn't as good as it used to be. This problem is very troublesome, and compared with several western powerhouses, the Lakers have no advantage in defense on the one hand, and there is no outstanding advantage in offense. For example, offensive space, if the Lakers make the playoffs. Can the Lakers, who can't play well defensively, win? Most likely not.
Looking at the environment in which the Lakers are located, the competition in the west is well known. The Lakers are going to play the playoffs with their current record, and we can't say that the Lakers can't make the playoffs. The problem is, teams in the playoff area are very competitive, which one can the Clippers, Timberwolves and Trail Blazers Lakers guarantee to beat? Even playing the Blazers Lakers lost some time ago, and Lillard didn't play that game.
To put it another way, even if the Lakers make the playoffs, they may face the Suns and Warriors in the first round according to their current rankings. The Suns have both offensive and defensive this season, and have greatly improved the interior line, and the Lakers' advantage may be difficult to exert in front of the Suns. The Warriors are old rivals to the Lakers. The Lakers have lost both times this season, and the Warriors' form is different from last season's, because Thompson is back. In the last Lakers and Warriors game, the Warriors' interior core Green has not yet played.
To put it simply, if the Lakers don't improve their defensive intensity, it will be difficult for them to play in the playoffs, and even if they do, it will be difficult to make a difference. As long as the Lakers guarantee the lower limit of defense, and rely on James and Davis at key moments, they can still beat most of the opponents in the league. In the future, the Lakers will have to play with teams like the Jazz Clippers Lone Rangers, and if the Lakers lose again, the consequences can be imagined. Dear readers, do you think the Lakers can still make the playoffs this season? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below the article.