Los Angeles Lakers: Rob Pelinka confident team can make NBA Playoffs
By Nick Ziegler
Despite the Los Angeles Lakers not being in the playoffs as of now, Rob Pelinka believes they are not a team anyone wants to play.
As we head toward the end of the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today. While things have not been good of late, the Lakers still have time to make up some ground in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are currently sitting just three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth spot in the West. However, they do have competition from the Sacramento Kings as well, as they are in between the two teams in 9th.
With 25 games in the season, the Lakers are certainly capable of catching the Clippers and the Kings in the West. While making the playoffs would be great for the Lakers after years of struggles, avoiding being in eighth place and having to potentially face the Warriors would be ideal.
Recently, Rob Pelinka talked about the Lakers’ playoff chances and how he thinks they would fare in the playoffs. Here’s what he said to Mike Bresnahan with text via LakersNation.com.
"“Life is full of circumstances that you can’t predict, they fly at you, and you have to react to it. You have to baton down the hatches and find a way to get through it. I think that, hopefully, with our team we’ve gone through some of this adversity and it’ll meld us together. If we can get in the playoffs, I wouldn’t want to see us in any seven-game matchup, that’s for sure.”"
Prior to the injury to LeBron James and Rajon Rondo on Christmas, the Lakers were in the top half of the Western Conference. While those two players are back now, Lonzo Ball has been sidelined with an ankle injury.
Injuries have been a problem for the Lakers all season, and is one of the main reasons why they are one game under .500. However, with one of the best players in the league, the Lakers are certainly capable of making the playoffs still.
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The schedule will not be easy for the Lakers, but they have enough time to make a run. If they do, even the Golden State Warriors would likely not want to face LeBron in a seven-game series in the first round.