How the Clippers have massively helped the Lakers this season
By Jason Reed
After a dreaded start to the 2022-23 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been able to turn things around and have shown promise this season. Over 30% of the way through the regular season, the Lakers are still in the picture as they are 3.5 games out of being the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
Tied for the sixth seed in the West is the Los Angeles Clippers, who have dealt with injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this season. The Clippers have benefitted from an easier schedule than the Lakers, though, as Basketball Reference gives them the fourth-easiest strength of schedule thus far. The Lakers are not that far behind, owning the eighth-easiest strength of schedule.
While the Clippers’ schedule has been slightly easier than the Lakers’ schedule this season, the purple and gold have still benefitted greatly from the schedule makers — at the expense of the Clippers.
The Lakers host the rivaled Boston Celtics on Tuesday night a night after the team lost to the Clippers. This is not the first time this has happened this season as several teams have had to play back-to-backs in LA with the Clippers being the first of the two opponents.
The Lakers will play the Celtics on Tuesday, one day after the Clippers play them.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 12, 2022
That will mark the 7th time in 27 games this season where the Lakers have faced an opponent who played the Clippers the night before.
That’s over 25% of their games.
The purple and gold have benefitted from having just under 25% of their games come a day after their opponent had to play the Clippers. To this point in the season, the Clippers have only benefitted from this phenomenon once — against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 7.
The Lakers should thank the Clippers for a good chunk of their wins.
Not only have the Lakers benefitted from the schedule giving the Clippers the short end of the stick but they have taken advantage of this situation. The purple and gold are 4-2 in the six games in which they held this advantage over their opponent.
Los Angeles has beaten the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers a day after they had to play the other LA team. The only two losses were on November 7 against the Utah Jazz and November 27 against the Indiana Pacers — which included an epic LA meltdown and game-winner at the buzzer.
Without those heroics, the Lakers would be 5-1 in these games in which the Clippers wore down the opponent the night before. Still, a whopping 36% of the team’s wins this season happened in these games. That is an extremely unfair advantage.
The purple and gold will not benefit from this as much the rest of the season. All in all, the Lakers will have 11 total games (four more after Tuesday) in which they have this advantage. Meanwhile, the Clippers will have just four total games (three more after Tuesday) in which they get the better end of the stick.
It might not be fair but hey, Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss didn’t make the schedule. They just have to play whoever is in front of them.