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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

By Gil Alcaraz IV

GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrati during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrati during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images /

Lakers secure No. 8 seed in final regular season game

In most people’s minds, this Lakers team is not a playoff-caliber squad. While that’s a fair assessment, I’m a firm believer that this group has undergone drastic improvement since last season. That’s part of why they’ll be playoff-bound in 2018.

Trust me, it won’t last long. In fact, it’ll take until the final game of the regular season to secure the spot. The Lakers square off with the Los Angeles Clippers in the finale, at which point I’m predicting they’ll be right in the middle of the race for the eighth seed. A hard-fought win bumps them ahead of the competition, allowing them to sneak into the postseason.

Unfortunately, having the eighth seed should also mean a first round showdown with the Golden State Warriors. As we all can probably guess, that won’t end well for the Lakers. Even if the Warriors are dealing with injuries at that time, their roster is too loaded to let a fringe playoff team take them down.

Still, it’ll be a fun ride. It’ll also be great to see so many of the skeptics tasting their own feet when the Lakers book their trip to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Next: Ranking Magic Johnson's best offseason moves

It’s not going to be easy, especially in a Western Conference that’s overflowing with playoff-caliber squads. Still, with an influx of talent across the board, another year with Luke Walton at the helm and an exciting young point guard running the show, anything is possible for the Lakers this year.

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