Following Friday night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers (20-49) have been officially eliminated from playoff contention.
If you were one of the few fans hoping the Lakers were still going to make a playoff run, do I have bad news for you. With a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers have been eliminated from playoff contention.
“What does that mean, Mr. Rivas?”
Well first off, Mr. Rivas is my father. Secondly, it means that the Lakers could literally win every game for the rest of the season by a 40-point margin and they still wouldn’t make the playoffs.
Earlier this season, there was at least a slim chance that the Lakers would make end their four-year playoff drought. They started the season off hot, even being an above .500 team at one point. However, injuries derailed their hot start and LA never quite got back into form.
With playoffs out of the picture, the team can focus on developing the young core and taking fliers out on guys like David Nwaba, who is at the tail-end of his second 10-day contract. They can also, whether they care to admit or not, tank. Hard.
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The Phoenix Suns have upped their tank game, shutting down their star point guard Eric Bledsoe for the season. Orlando is also getting scary close to LA–not geographically, of course–so losing games will be important for the final stretch of the season.
Moral victories are nice and all, but the Lakers can’t afford to lose their pick in this year’s draft. If it falls out of the top three, the team will not only convey this year’s first-rounder to Philadelphia, but they will also give up their 2019 first rounder to Orlando.
However, if they manage to keep their pick this season, they will only forfeit two second-rounders to Orlando. Hardly a steep price to pay for a season of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.
Next: Jordan Clarkson is back, but is that bad?
But what do you guys think? Were you expecting playoff basketball this year? Do you expect playoff basketball next year? Let us know in the comments below.