On April 9, Beijing time, a focus game in the NBA ended, and the Clippers defeated the Blazers 136-125. After this game, the Clippers won one more game than the Lakers, and the Lakers could not surpass the Clippers and Warriors at the same time even if they won tomorrow due to the disadvantage of the match. It can be said that this game completely shattered the Lakers' dream of rushing five, but from another point of view, the Lakers have also determined the potential ranking of the regular season and can avoid the Suns 100% in the first round!
Tomorrow, the Lakers will face the Jazz in the finale, and if they win, they are expected to win sixth or seventh, and if they lose, they will definitely drop to eighth. But even so, the Lakers' playoff situation can still be said to be very good. First of all, the Lakers' opponents tomorrow have missed the playoffs, and they are playing at home, so the Lakers will most likely win tomorrow. Secondly, the Lakers fell to the eighth in the worst case, but even if they fell to the eighth, they still have the initiative in the play-offs, and they only need to win one game in 2 games to advance to the first round. Although the Lakers do not have a chance to compete for five, they still have a chance to win the draft, that is, to compete for sixth place in the West.
If the Lakers can finish sixth in the West, they will face the Kings, who have no playoff experience, in the first round, and advance to the Western Conference semifinals is a breeze. Once they reach the Western Conference semifinals, I am afraid that the young Grizzlies will not be able to resist them, and it will not be a dream to return to the Western Conference Finals. If the Lakers want to "grab six" success, they only need to meet one condition, that is, tomorrow the Lakers win, the Clippers win, and the Warriors lose. As long as this condition is met, the Lakers may have a smooth road to the playoffs and go straight to the Western Finals! Don't think it's harsh, but tomorrow the Warriors are playing on the road, and their away win rate this season is just over 20%.
The current ranking of the Lakers can be said to be offensive, retreat and defense, seemingly passive, but in fact there is still a lot to do. Compared to the Lakers' only 42% win rate 2 months ago, the current situation is already very good for Lakers fans. After sending Wei Shao away, the Lakers scored a 17-8 record in the following games, which is a win rate that looks at the whole league, and that is also the existence of the top three! Just such a record was still obtained when Lao Zhan was absent for a long time and his thick eyebrows had been taking turns. Facing the Lakers after the trade day, who dares to say that there is a sure win? Even if they end up in eighth place and enter the playoffs, it is not impossible for the Nuggets to stage a black eight miracle.
This season, the Lakers have had a tough start, and their 2-10 record once made fans think they were vying for the top pick. The incompatibility between Wei Shao and James, James's aging, and the unprofessionalism of thick eyebrows all leave fans with no hope. But for a championship team, giving up two words is never in the dictionary. After a series of changes, the Lakers' record quickly recovered. With a 2-10 record, but a 50% win rate, the Lakers are the sixth in history. Strictly speaking, there is no particularly strong team in the West this year, and the current Lakers already have the strength to rush out of the West to compete for the championship, I don't know if everyone agrees?
[For more NBA information, please pay attention to the Little Devil Review]