Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Biggest factors to make the playoffs

Now that the All-Star break has arrived, what do the Los Angeles Lakers have to do to make the playoffs?

The mood among fans in Los Angeles is bleak right now. The Los Angeles Lakers currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference. This is not what was expected when they signed LeBron James last July.

Fans are understandably disappointed at their 28-29 record. They are especially distraught about the team’s recent road trip, where a thrilling victory over Boston was sandwiched in-between a humiliating defeat to Indiana, a beat-down from Philadelphia and a loss to lowly Atlanta in which the Lakers scored only 44 second-half points.

The glass appears to be half-empty. Fingers are pointed in all directions. Management offered virtually the entire roster other than James in a failed, very public attempt to trade for Anthony Davis. Many feel Luke Walton’s job is in jeopardy, and some say it is inevitable that he will be fired.

Is there a chance the Lakers can still turn things around this season? A look at the standings offers the biggest clue.

The Lakers have lost just 2 more games than both teams directly in front of them, the Kings and Clippers, 3 more than the Spurs, and 4 more than the Jazz. With 25 games left to play, those are hardly insurmountable obstacles to overcome.

So that should provide at least some measure of hope. But how good a chance do the Lakers realistically have of passing at least 2 teams to qualify for the postseason?

These are four of the biggest factors to make the playoffs.