Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Reasons They Will Make The Playoffs
By Joshua Lea
The Los Angeles Lakers have been a huge surprise in the NBA this season. What’s even more surprising is the fact they are a playoff team as of now.
The Los Angeles Lakers are having one of their best seasons in recent memory. The Lakers are 6-5 on the season, mostly because they have the best scoring bench in the NBA, averaging 50.6 points a game. Currently, Lou Williams is the leading scorer for the Lakers, averaging 16 points a game.
However, five players for the Lakers average double-figures.
The Lakers are sharing the ball more than they ever have. As a team, they are notching 21.2 assist a game. They are scoring just more than 108 points a game, which is sixth-best in the NBA. This team is exciting to watch.
The young Lake Show is a sort of Cinderella story in the NBA with Luke Walton as the Fairy Godfather.
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Some will credit the Lakers success to the absence of an aging Kobe Bryant. While Bryant not needing the ball helps the Lakers, I think coaching is the reason the Lakers are playing well. Thus far, the Lakers have lost one game at home this season.
On the road, the Lakers have struggled at times. However, they have seen some success, winning games in Atlanta, Sacramento and New Orleans.
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One area of concern for this team is on the defensive end. Most recently, they allowed Minnesota to score 125 points in a tough road loss. Andrew Wiggins was extremely successful against the Lakers, scoring 47 points, including 22 free throws.
As a team, the Lakers are giving up 107 points a game, ranking them 21st the in NBA.
The big question for the Lakers this season is can they make the playoffs? Coming into the season, the Lakers weren’t expected to make the postseason. It was all about growth and development, the fans were asked to be patient.
However, the Lakers blew away our expectations with wins against Houston, Golden State and Atlanta.
The Lakers can and will make the postseason this year. They will shock the NBA and sneak into that eighth or seventh spot for the playoffs. Here are three reasons why they will be able to accomplish this difficult task.