It’s hard to predict what will happen over the next few weeks, but the Lakers, Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks are in a dog fight to take over the eighth seed of the Western Conference. The best thing we can do at this point is to check the remaining schedules of each team to see who has the best chance to come out on top, so lets have a look:
The Lakers have nine games remaining, with six of them at the Staples Center: @Sac, Dal, Mem, @LAC, NO, @Por, GS, SA, Hou.
The Jazz, who are behind the Lakers by just 1/2 game, have 10 games remaining, with half of them at EnergySolutions Arena: @Por, BK, @Por, Den, NO, @GS, OKC, Min, @Min, @Mem.
The Mavericks missed their chance to stay closer in the standings by getting blown out by the Indiana Pacers at home, and are now trailing by 1 1/2 games. Here is the remainder of their schedule: Chi, @LAL, @Den, @Sac, @Por, Pho, Den, @NO, Mem, NO.
The Mavericks have played the best basketball of the three teams in March, with an impressive 10-5 record. The 14-22 road record is deceiving, as they’ve won seven of the last 11 games away from home. While it’s a concern that they have four consecutive games coming up on the road, only three games remain against upper-echelon teams (two against Denver and one against Memphis).
The Jazz, on the other hand, have played their worst basketball, losing 12 of their last 17 games. With half of their remaining games away from home, where they are a dreadful 10-27 – the fourth worst road record in the West – it’s not looking so good for the team that continues to lack an identity.
And finally, we have the Lakers. Six games at home will be helpful – they are 23-12 at Staples Center – but five of those games are against teams with a better record than them. The remaining three games on the road? Check out their records at home: Sacramento Kings – 19-16, Portland Trail Blazers – 22-12, Los Angeles Clippers – 28-8.
Based on these schedules and recent level of play, Dallas appears to have the best chance to make it to the postseason – despite being the worst of the three teams at the moment. When they visit the Lakers on April 2, we will have a much better grasp of what will happen down the stretch, depending on who takes that game.
I’m not rooting for any team in particular, but if I am a betting man (which I am not), it’s hard to put too much trust in the Lakers, given the challenge ahead of them in the final month of the season.
Tweet of the Day: Phil Jackson