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Los Angeles Lakers: Week 18 NBA Power Rankings update

By Kenneth Teape

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 15: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 15, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 15: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 15, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers took a little tumble down the most recent ESPN NBA Power Rankings.

The Los Angeles Lakers headed into the All-Star break with a record of 23-34. While that doesn’t have them in the playoff race in the Western Conference as some people thought they would be, they are at least showing improvement this season.

Last season, the Lakers won only 26 games all season. At this point of the season, the Lakers were 19-39. A 4.5 game improvement is pretty solid, and one that should continue improving as the team gets healthier.

It would seem to be a safe bet that the Lakers will improve upon last season’s win total. However, there will be some what if questions asked about this year’s team. One of them is the health of rookie point guard Lonzo Ball.

What if Ball had been able to stay healthy and not miss 21 games? The Lakers are 15-21 when he plays, making them 8-13 when he doesn’t play. However, all eight of those wins without Ball came in a 10-game stretch. In the other 11 games, the Lakers have been a disaster without him. That was the case in the three games leading up to the All-Star break.

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The Lakers roster saw some changes leading into the All-Star break. Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In exchange, the Lakers received Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and the Cavaliers’ 2018 first-round pick.

Clarkson and Nance Jr. were integral parts of the Lakers rotation, and their presence, especially defensively, has been missed.

119 points are the least the Lakers have given up during their recent three-game skid. The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans scored 130 and 139 points respectively before the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 119.

As a result, the Lakers fell in ESPN’s NBA Power Rankings. The Lakers are lucky that it was only one spot, as they fell to No. 21 after being No. 20 last week.

Here is what they had to say about the Lakers’ ranking.

"It has been a tough 2018 for Kyle Kuzma, whose 48.0 true shooting percentage is the lowest among Lakers regulars. The highest? Fellow rookie Josh Hart, whose 64.0 clip ranks him 20th in the league since New Year’s Day among players averaging 20 minutes per game. The Lakers have been a net-positive team when he’s on the floor with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Brook Lopez."

While losing a player to injury isn’t positive, the Lakers have had a positive takeaway with their new lineup. With Tyler Ennis replacing Ball, things weren’t going well. Luke Walton inserted Josh Hart into the lineup, moving Brandon Ingram to a point-forward role, and the results have been much improved.

How will Walton integrate Ball back into the lineup once he is healthy enough to return? It will be something to keep an eye on, as Hart has cemented his place in the rotation. How Walton divides up the minutes going forward with Thomas on the roster will be worth keeping an eye on.

With defensive-minded players such as Hart and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, we shouldn’t see Ball and Thomas on the court much together. They would be a huge liability defensively, something the Lakers cannot afford to have.

Next: 3 Reasons For the Lakers Struggles Thus Far This Season

While the losing streak stings, the Lakers will have some opportunities to get on track coming out of the All-Star break. Games against the Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks are all winnable and can help the Lakers get back on track.

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