Can Lakers make the playoffs without James?
Can the Los Angeles Lakers make the playoffs with LeBron James sidelined with a right foot tendon injury?
The Lakers announced Thursday that James will be re-evaluated in about three weeks after missing the last two games with the injury. That timetable pegs James’ return for late March at best, with the end of the regular season approaching.
With 19 games to play, the Lakers are 11th in the Western Conference, one game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot.
James’ injury, which occurred during a promising road win against the Dallas Mavericks, will likely end realistic hopes of moving past sixth place and avoiding the playoffs.
However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see the Lakers in the playoffs. Having bolstered their roster at the trade deadline, can the Lakers get into the playoffs, or at least stay in contention, while James recovers?
Why the playoff standings matter, too.
There is a tendency to discuss the play-in tournament as a binary affair, either in or out. While finishing 11th would give the Lakers zero chance of getting into the playoffs, the road is much tougher for teams in the ninth and 10th spots, who must win twice to make the playoffs.
That’s where the math is less favorable for the Lakers. The odds of them catching one of the four teams ahead of them in the standings are good, but beating several teams at this point in the season will be a challenge. Projections using BPI indicate that ninth or tenth place is the most likely outcome for the Lakers.
If the Lakers finish outside the top eight in the West entering the playoffs, that means playing two games to make the first round while their likely opponent, almost certainly the Denver Nuggets in that scenario – because a team that enters the playoffs in ninth or 10th place may only finish as the eighth seed – is resting and preparing for the playoffs.
As a result, the implications of James’ current injury could still be felt in April, even if the Lakers advance to the playoffs.
