On Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Despite the Los Angeles Lakers improving this season, they were unable to reach the playoffs for the fifth straight season. After a 112-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Lakers were officially eliminated from the playoffs in the tough Western Conference.
The Lakers played well against the Pistons with the threat of being eliminated from the playoffs, however, them being short-handed once again hurt them. In the loss, the Lakers had both Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball play over 40 minutes.
With Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram both being out, the Lakers haven’t been the same team, especially on the defensive end. Since the Lakers haven’t had much depth recently, it has made it quite hard for them to win with their starters nearly playing the entire game.
Even though the Lakers didn’t make the playoffs once again this season, they certainly improved. This season, Los Angeles improved their win total from last season and some of their young talents certainly got much better.
This season has been a good stepping stone for the Lakers. After years of being one of the worst teams in the league, the Lakers were able to have some nice wins this season, and also had some very strong extended stretches during the season.
As a young team the Lakers saw improvement as the season went on, unfortunately, injuries derailed them a bit in the second half of the season. Even though the Lakers won’t be playing in the playoffs this season, that could change next season.
Next: Challenges still exist for the Lakers
With a lot of young talent and cap space, the Lakers could be contenders for a playoff spot next season. If their dream of signing LeBron James and or Paul George comes true, they could be one of the top teams in the Western Conference next season. A lot of things will determine how good the Lakers are next season, but the future is certainly bright in Los Angeles.