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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons they won’t make the playoffs in 2017-18

By Josh Cornelissen

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 10: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the preseason game against the Utah Jazz on October 10, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 10: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the preseason game against the Utah Jazz on October 10, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images
Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images /

5. The Western Conference is really, really good

Any way you slice it, the Western Conference is significantly better than the Eastern Conference. In a more balanced league this wouldn’t be as large of an issue, but with only eight teams coming from a much stronger West, the opportunity for the Lakers to make it in is squeezed to the breaking point.

Last season the three strongest teams by way of win-loss record played in the Western Conference. Looking at point differential, five Western Conference teams outscored their opponents by more than 3.1 points per game, while just one — the Toronto Raptors — hit that mark in the East.

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That was last season, and the gap has only widened since then with a flurry of moves over the summer. Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Paul Millsap and Carmelo Anthony all made the All-Star team in the East last season, and will suit up for Western Conference teams this time around. The only Western All-Star to move to the East was Gordon Hayward.

As such, the Western Conference is projected to be even better this season. FiveThirtyEight recently posted their CARM-Elo NBA predictions, and of the nine strongest teams by way of CARM-Elo rating, only the Cleveland Cavaliers play in the East. In other words, the eighth-best team in the West is projected to be stronger than the second-best team in the East.

In a terrible coincidence for the Lakers, there are only eight teams in the West that make the postseason. To make the playoffs they will have to knock one of those teams from their spot, very likely by being better than the best the East has to offer.

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