After yet another painful loss on Tuesday night – this time to the Dallas Mavericks – the Los Angeles Lakers are once again facing the possibility of missing the postseason, with or without the Play-In Tournament.
As of now, the team is sitting – clinging, actually – to the ninth seed with a record of 27-34.
But with a tough schedule ahead and the team seemingly incapable of getting it together, there is a chance they will only fall apart more.
The Lakers are 3-10 over their last 13 games.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 2, 2022
Hoop Central pointed out a very frightening point: the Lakers are 3-10 in their last 13 games.
So why would anybody have faith that they could turn it around when they most need to?
The Rocky Road Ahead
The Lakers will have to play incredibly well to make it into the postseason.
If they wish to make the sixth seed and receive immediate access to the postseason, they will need to play like they never have before.
Even if they wish to meet the requirements for the Play-In Tournament, they will have to do a bit more than tread water.
The schedule ahead for them isn’t a walk in the park.
In the final few weeks of the season, LA will face off against the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, and more.
And some of those teams they have to battle more than once.
At this point, it’s a safe assumption that the Lakers will lose more than a handful of those games.
If that’s the case, even their ninth place seeding isn’t guaranteed and they could quite literally fall out of contention for the Play-In Tournament.
At this point, that possibility is more likely than ever before.
NEXT: Lakers Lucky To Have The Play-In Tournament This Year