Before March arrived, the Los Angeles Lakers were flirting with potentially falling back into the Play-In picture in the Western Conference. 15 wins and two losses later, that is a distant memory. Before the Lakers even capped off the month with a strong 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, they got some great news.
The Phoenix Suns dropped their road matchup against the Orlando Magic in a tight 115-111 loss. That contest officially locked up a playoff spot and the Pacific Division title for the Lakers. For the second year in a row, there will be no Play-In Tournament for JJ Redick's squad.
This is a team who has been banged up throughout chunks of the season. They can now take the opportunity to get healthy and rest ahead of the postseason. After the win over the Cavs, Doncic was asked whether he would prefer the team get a crack at the playoffs sooner rather than later, given their recent form. The response given was definitive.
"No," Doncic said without hesitation. "We need some rest after the season, so I don't want them to start now."
Lakers will get ample opportunity to fine-tune and heal up before the playoffs
A lot has clearly clicked for the Lakers in the month of March. The chemistry is where it needs to be, Doncic has played out of this world basketball, the roles are much more defined with everyone available, and so much more. A big factor in that has been health.
Luka and LeBron James both highlighted at the All-Star break how important a clean injury report was going to be for the Lakers in the second half of the season. Thus far, they have been proven abslutely right.
The Lakers have still had their bumps and bruises along the way, but for the most part, they have been healthy. In the process, they have undeniably been the best versions of themselves all year.
Having the extra bit of time off while the NBA's middling teams figure out who occupies the final two play-in spots will be huge in ensuring the Lakers can keep up what they have been doing in the month of March. Los Angeles is bound to cool off eventually. It is about mitigating just how much cold water is thrown on a red-hot team.
The Lakers know who they are now. Instead of doing some last-minute soul-searching, Los Angeles can instead take the opportunity to ensure every cog in a suddenly well-oiled machine is available to keep it running during the spring.