The Los Angeles Lakers are in 10th place in the Western Conference, and a playoff spot is still some distance away from them.
Given how bunched teams are between fifth place and 12th place, one more inexcusable loss could very well single-handedly cost the Purple and Gold a spot in the play-in tournament.
However, there is a feeling that should they reach the playoffs with a healthy LeBron James, the Lakers will be a dangerous foe for any team in the conference.
In fact, according to Chris Haynes, they are confident they could defeat the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies should they match up with either team in the postseason.
Via Lakers Daily:
“They believe they got a legitimate shot to take down Denver,” Haynes said. “They believe they got a legitimate shot to take down Memphis. I don’t know about Phoenix when K.D. (Kevin Durant) is healthy — I haven’t asked around on that front — but there’s no fear at all.”
The Nuggets are on their way to finishing with the top seed in the West, but some do not fully believe in their chances of winning the NBA championship because of their issues on the defensive end.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies have had problems ever since L.A. ended their 11-game winning streak in January. They have fallen to third place, and franchise player Ja Morant has been serving an eight-game suspension after displaying a gun at a Colorado nightclub during an Instagram Live.
The Lakers have 10 regular-season games left, mostly against mediocre squads, and six of those contests will be at Crypto.com Arena.
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