Maybe it’s just me, but folks sure seem a little too certain that the Los Angeles Lakers are going to make the playoffs.
Yes, they control their own destiny. But they still, in all likelihood, will need to win out in their final three games to get the job done — and those three wins are far from sure things.
The opponents are Golden State, San Antonio and Houston, all of which are still playing for something.
Golden State (1-2 against Los Angeles this season) is trying to stay in the sixth spot in the West, thereby avoiding the two conference powerhouses — San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
San Antonio (2-0 thus far against L.A.) goes into the weekend in a tie with the Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West and would prefer to finish a game ahead of Oklahoma City, which wins the tiebreaker.
And Houston (2-1 vs. Lakers), which begins the weekend just a game behind Golden State, also has its sights set on the No. 6 spot.
So it isn’t going to be easy for the Lakers, and it doesn’t help that Utah will play two of its remaining three games against the floundering Minnesota Timberwolves before closing the season against Memphis.
So with all that skepticism clearly stated, what would happen if the Lakers did make the playoffs? Could they contend against one of the top two teams in the West?
My answer is below in this interview with Noah Coslov of Cinesport.