On March 21, Beijing time, although the Los Angeles Lakers did not play today, the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Hawks on the road, and their record came to 30 wins and 41 losses to tie the Lakers. Since the Purple and Gold Army's record against the Pelicans this season is currently 0-1, so the Lakers have dropped to tenth in the West, can they successfully participate in the playoffs?
According to the rules, teams ranked 7th to 10th in the East and West will play in the playoffs, and the Lakers are still 3 wins ahead of the 11th-place Spurs. The regular season is drawing to a close, the Lakers have 11 games to play next, and their closing schedule is devil's level!
It can be seen that the Remaining 11 opponents of the Lakers are the Cavaliers, Philadelphia, Pelicans, Lone Rangers, Jazz, Pelicans, Nuggets, Suns, Warriors, Thunder and Nuggets, of which only the Thunder have a lower win rate than the Lakers, and as many as 8 games are playoff teams! Judging by the Lakers' current poor state, they have no certainty of winning anyone they play.
And the Spurs count today's game against the Warriors, there are also 11 games to play, and the remaining schedule is obviously less difficult than the Lakers.
Yes, while the Lakers' current 3-win lead looks solid, whether they can successfully participate in the playoffs will have to be marked with a huge question mark. But the good news for the Purple and Gold is that The Thick Brower is expected to make a comeback in late March or early April, and may be able to play in the remaining 5-7 games. Of course, even if the Lakers eventually advance to the playoffs, whether they can finally stand on the playoff stage is also full of doubts, and it is not easy to win two playoffs in a row.