Tag: Los Angeles Lakers News

Lakers playoff scenarios: Breaking down Los Angeles’ playoff picture

With six games left in the regular season, here’s a look at the current playoff picture for the Lakers.

The start of the new-look NBA playoffs are rapidly approaching, and every game is crucial across the league as teams are battling for playoff positioning. New in 2021 is the launch of the play-in tournament, which gives four teams from each conference the chance to occupy the final two playoff slots for the first round – and means that the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds could potentially be sent home early.

How does the NBA’s new playoff system work, and which teams are the Lakers projected to face? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a comprehensive look at the standings, the Lakers’ remaining schedule, and their potential playoff opponents with six games left in the regular season.

The current standings:

  • 5 – Dallas Mavericks (38-28)
  • 6 – Los Angeles Lakers (37-29) – 1 games back
  • 7 – Portland Trail Blazers (37-29) – 1 game back
  • 8 – Golden State Warriors (34-33) – 4.5 games back
  • 9 – Memphis Grizzlies (33-33) – 5 games back
  • 10 – San Antonio Spurs (31-34) – 6.5 games back
  • 11 – New Orleans Pelicans (30-36) – 8 games back

Games remaining in the regular season: 7

Next game: at Trail Blazers, Friday, May 7

Remaining schedule:

  • May 7: at Trail Blazers (7th in West), 7 PT
  • May 9: vs. Suns (2nd in West), 7 PT
  • May 11: vs. Knicks (4th in East), 7 PT
  • May 12: vs. Rockets (15th in West), 7:30 PT
  • May 15: at Pacers (9th in East), TBD
  • May 16: at Pelicans (11th in West), TBD

Playoff opponents if season ended today: 

As the current 6-seed, the Lakers would be matched up in the first round with the 3-seed Los Angeles Clippers, who they fell to last night, 118-94.

The Clippers swept the season series against the Lakers 3-0, though LeBron James and Anthony Davis (essentially) missed two of the three matchups.

Lakers playoff scenarios: Breaking down Los Angeles’ playoff picture

With six games left in the regular season, here’s a look at the current playoff picture for the Lakers.

The start of the new-look NBA playoffs are rapidly approaching, and every game is crucial across the league as teams are battling for playoff positioning. New in 2021 is the play-in tournament, which gives four teams from each conference the chance to occupy the final two playoff slots for the first round.

How does the NBA’s new playoff system work, and which teams are the Lakers projected to face? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a comprehensive look at the standings, the Lakers’ remaining schedule, and their potential playoff opponents with six games left in the regular season.

The current standings:

  • 5 – Dallas Mavericks (38-28)
  • 6 – Los Angeles Lakers (37-29) – 1 games back
  • 7 – Portland Trail Blazers (37-29) – 1 game back
  • 8 – Golden State Warriors (34-33) – 4.5 games back
  • 9 – Memphis Grizzlies (33-33) – 5 games back
  • 10 – San Antonio Spurs (31-34) – 6.5 games back
  • 11 – New Orleans Pelicans (30-36) – 8 games back

Games remaining in the regular season: 7

Next game: at Trail Blazers, Friday, May 7

Remaining schedule:

  • May 7: at Trail Blazers (7th in West), 7 PT
  • May 9: vs. Suns (2nd in West), 7 PT
  • May 11: vs. Knicks (4th in East), 7 PT
  • May 12: vs. Rockets (15th in West), 7:30 PT
  • May 15: at Pacers (9th in East), TBD
  • May 16: at Pelicans (11th in West), TBD

Playoff opponents if season ended today: 

As the current No. 6 seed, the Lakers would be matched up in the first round with the third-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, who they fell to last night, 118-94.

The Clippers swept the season series against the Lakers 3-0, though LeBron James and Anthony Davis (essentially) missed two of the three matchups.

‘Time for me to adjust’: LeBron on doing more with Davis out injured

Following the Lakers’ second straight loss, LeBron James says he needs to ‘adjust’, not his teammates, in the absence of Anthony Davis.

Every team hits a rough patch throughout the season. Whether shots stop falling, your defense collapses, or you get hit with the injury bug — every team has to overcome a challenging stretch. For the Lakers, that stretch is now.

Losers of three of their last four games including last night’s 96-94 nail-biter against the Miami Heat, it’s on LeBron James to right the ship with Anthony Davis on the shelf for roughly four weeks with a calf injury. “I think that’s what it all boils down to, and right now is another challenge for me to be able to adjust,” James said of stepping up in Davis’ absence after last night’s 2020 NBA Finals rematch.

This is simply what James has done his entire 18-year career; when his team hits a wall, he puts on his crown and his cape to save the day. Though for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, he says it’s up to the role players to have a ‘next man up mentality’ in Davis’ absence.

“I feel like the last couple games that’s been happening, putting a lot on Bron. We already know what we’re going to get out of him,” Caldwell-Pope said. “So all the rest of us, we’ve got to continue to just play hard and just play basketball and not worry about anything else.”

“They are doing their part – they’re doing their part and more,” James said of his teammates.

And for the most part this season in games without Davis, that they have, as the Lakers hold a 5-3 record in games the Kentucky product doesn’t play, including losing their last two games.

“Not having AD for a long period of time is something that we haven’t had over the last year and a half, and now it’s time for me to adjust again and see ways I can be even more effective to help this team win ball games. Because that is the sport that we’re in.”

This stretch will mark for the first lengthy period LeBron has had to play without Davis in their time as teammates. With Dennis Schroder also out the next two games due to health and safety protocols, it’s on both James, KCP, and the entire Lakers roster to fill the void and stay near the top of the Western Conference.

“We’re going to hold each other accountable, and everyone is picking up in AD’s absence,” James said.

“It obviously hasn’t resulted in wins these last two games, but we’re going to keep working on our habits and continue to be great for one another.”

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LeBron James congratulates former Georgia Bulldog on new deal

LeBron James congratulates former Georgia Bulldog basketball star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on signing a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James credited former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for helping the Lakers win an NBA Championship this past season. Los Angeles defeated the Miami Heat in a six-game series, where Caldwell-Pope was often Los Angeles’ third option behind James and Anthony Davis.

Following the Lakers’ championship, Caldwell-Pope was set to enter free agency. He earned leverage after his impressive postseason and had interest from numerous teams in the NBA. Now, per The Athletics’ Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers are re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three year, $40M deal.

Caldwell-Pope is set to make an average of $15M over the next two seasons, and he has a partially guaranteed third year in the contract. He’ll look to win more championships in Los Angeles.

James congratulated his teammate on his new deal via his Twitter account:

The Lakers are happy whenever James is happy, so it is a great deal for L.A., which will still have a large role for Caldwell-Pope.

Here’s how the basketball world reacted to Caldwell-Pope’s new contract with the Lakers:

This lineup is already a little bit outdated, but the Lakers are looking stacked:

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LeBron James congratulates former Georgia Bulldog on new deal

LeBron James congratulates former Georgia Bulldog basketball star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on signing a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James credited former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for helping the Lakers win an NBA Championship this past season. Los Angeles defeated the Miami Heat in a six-game series, where Caldwell-Pope was often Los Angeles’ third option behind James and Anthony Davis.

Following the Lakers’ championship, Caldwell-Pope was set to enter free agency. He earned leverage after his impressive postseason and had interest from numerous teams in the NBA. Now, per The Athletics’ Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers are re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three year, $40M deal.

Caldwell-Pope is set to make an average of $15M over the next two seasons, and he has a partially guaranteed third year in the contract. He’ll look to win more championships in Los Angeles.

James congratulated his teammate on his new deal via his Twitter account:

The Lakers are happy whenever James is happy, so it is a great deal for L.A., which will still have a large role for Caldwell-Pope.

Here’s how the basketball world reacted to Caldwell-Pope’s new contract with the Lakers:

This lineup is already a little bit outdated, but the Lakers are looking stacked:

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Lakers’ Anthony Davis: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ‘saved us’

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis credited former Georgia Bulldog Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for helping win game one of the NBA Finals

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis credited former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for helping the Lakers win game one of the NBA Finals. Los Angeles defeated the Miami Heat 116-98 in a disastrous game for the Heat. Miami lost and suffered several key injuries to Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Goran Dragic.

Before the Lakers took a comfortable lead, Miami raced out to a 23-10 lead in the first quarter. Los Angeles looked lost offensively and LeBron James checked out of the game for his usual rest.

Needing a spark offensively, some open looks fell to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who buried a pair of threes and scored a few points in the paint. KCP helped stave off Miami’s initial onslaught.

Los Angeles, led by the dynamic duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, didn’t look back from there. The Lakers outscored the Heat 55-25 for the rest of the first half. The Heat never cut the Lakers lead to single digits for the whole second half.

Following the game, Anthony Davis credited Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He said that:

“KCP saved us.”

Davis and the Lakers will look to defeat the Heat next on Friday night. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has a large role on the team and plays the third-most minutes for LA. He doesn’t have to shoulder a massive scoring burden, but the team looks for him to step up in some big moments.

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Lakers need Georgia’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to win NBA championship

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James desperately need Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s defense and shooting this postseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the Western Conference after the NBA resumed action in Orlando, Florida. At 52-19, the Lakers gamble to trade for Anthony Davis has paid off. Los Angeles has won fifteen more games than last season thanks to the unstoppable combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers accomplished this despite playing eleven games less than in 2018-2019.

LeBron has taken over L.A.’s point guard duties and leads the NBA in assists per game at 10.2. Many of LeBron’s assists have been to former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

KCP is averaging only 9.3 points per game, but he is doing so at the most efficient clip of his career. KCP is shooting 46.7% from the field and 38.5% from three point territory this season. Each of these numbers are the best of his seven season NBA career.

The Lakers desperately need Caldwell-Pope’s defense and shooting this postseason. His improved efficiency will be key for the Lakers. Caldwell-Pope may be tasked with defending Portland’s Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the first round of the playoffs, if the Trailblazers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in game for the eight seed in the Western Conference.

Caldwell-Pope will play a large role in the playoffs because Avery Bradley elected not to participate in the NBA’s return. Yes, Los Angeles signed J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters, but that duo doesn’t have KCP’s chemistry with the Lakers starting lineup. The Georgia Bulldog great, KCP, will have the most pressure he’s ever faced in his NBA career.

KCP’s significant workload in the NBA postseason will be something we haven’t seen out of a Georgia Bulldog in quite sometime. It’ll be fun to watch for UGA fans moving forward!

Mar 8, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) celebrate in the fourth quarter against the LA Clippers atStaples Center. The Lakers defeated the Clippers 112-100.  Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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Lakers relying on Georgia’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in title quest

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to play a key role for L.A. in the NBA Playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the Western Conference after the NBA All-Star break. At 44-12, the Lakers gamble to trade for Anthony Davis has paid off. Los Angeles has already won more games than last season thanks to the unstoppable combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

LeBron has taken over L.A.’s point guard duties and leads the NBA in assists by over 1.5 assists per game. Many of LeBron’s assists come to former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

KCP is averaging only 9.6 points per game, but he is doing so at the most efficient clip of his career. KCP is shooting 47% from the field and 40.7% from three point territory this season. Each of these numbers are the best of his seven season NBA career.

The Lakers desperately need Caldwell-Pope’s defense and shooting this postseason. His improved efficiency will be key for the Lakers to watch moving forward.

L.A. elected to stay quiet at the trade deadline, but they need perimeter help, or perimeter players like KCP to emerge. Yes, they recently added Markieff Morris, but they need to take some of the ball-handling pressure off LeBron. KCP can help do that.

KCP will have a significant workload in the NBA postseason, something we haven’t seen out of a Georgia Bulldog in quite sometime. It’ll be fun to watch for UGA fans moving forward!

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