5 reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers really need a high playoff seed

1. The Los Angeles Lakers would play an easier first-round playoff opponent

Even if the previous four reasons didn’t matter, this one here by itself makes getting a high playoff seed imperative.

Getting one of the top two or three seeds means having a relatively easy first-round opponent in the playoffs.

If the Los Angeles Lakers finish lower than third, they will likely have a tough opponent to start the postseason.

Ask yourself this: Are you cool with playing a team like the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, or even the Jazz or Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, especially without home-court advantage?

All those teams could potentially extend the Lakers to a seventh game. That would mean more wear-and-tear, more fatigue and less rest before the second round of the playoffs, all of which would not bode well for a 36-year-old LeBron James.

On the other hand, a high seed would mean a manageable opponent like the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors (who we just watched the team beat up on), or New Orleans Pelicans.

The Lakers, at full-strength, should be able to beat those teams in five games, if not in a four-game sweep.

Last season, by virtue of having the top seed, the Lakers faced Portland in the first round. The Blazers were a lesser team then, as they didn’t have Jusuf Nurkic, and as a result, the Lakers dismissed them in a gentleman’s sweep.