Los Angeles Lakers: 3 goals leading into the NBA playoffs
Los Angeles Lakers goal No. 2 for the NBA playoffs: Win their play-in game.
The play-in tournament still rewards winning and seeding. The Lakers finished seventh in the Western Conference meaning they will host the eighth-placed Golden State Warriors. If the Lakers can win this game then they qualify directly for the playoffs, taking the seventh seed and playing the Phoenix Suns.
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However, if they lose this game then they have to play the winner out of the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies. While the Lakers should do this, it will put them in the eighth seed, playing the Utah Jazz in the first round.
This would be another game that the Lakers have to play. This would also be two fewer days they could rest. For a team that is currently suffering through an injury crisis, this could be the difference between winning and losing in the first round.
On top of this, James is a 36-year-old man. While he has just had a long layoff with injury, if father time catches up with him in these playoffs, having the extra game rather than the extra rest could cause issues. However, it is the Lakers and LeBron James so anything could happen.