Getty Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton, whose team took another hit regarding their playoff chances.
On a night that saw LeBron James climb his way up the history books and pass NBA legend Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, the Lakers playoff chances took another hit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
At one point on the evening, the Lakers were down 23 points before mounting a spirited comeback effort. Spurred in large part by two-way players Alex Caruso and Johnathan Williams, the Lakers surged in the third quarter and kept riding the effective group of Alex Caruso, Josh Hart, Johnathan Williams, Mo Wagner, and LeBron James well into the fourth.
After repeated attempts to hold off the Laker comeback by the Nuggets, they finally broke through and were able to pull away late against the banged-up Laker squad. While the Lakers are still a longshot to make the playoffs, their win against the Nuggets was a big first step towards potentially salvaging this season.
Updated Lakers Playoff Chances
Coming into the night, both FiveThirtyEight’s CARMELO projection, as well as FiveThirtyEight’s ELO forecast, gave the Lakers less than a one percent chance to make the NBA playoffs.
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Following the loss, the CARMELO projection and ELO forecast held steady at less than a one percent chance for the Lakers to make the playoffs. While not mathematically eliminated, the Lakers playoff chances are all but done as they fell to 30-35.
Despite all this, the Lakers still have the 12th best odds to win the NBA championship (at +3000 per Bovada), ahead of playoff teams like the Spurs, Jazz, Pacers, Nets, and Pistons.
Lakers Injury Concerns Moving Forward
Baseline spin and slam
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Lance Stephenson was able to suit up for tonight’s matchup but Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Tyson Chandler were all unable to play. While Kuzma should likely return within a week, he will almost certainly be put on a minutes restriction after a scare. Brandon Ingram’s status moving forward is extremely unclear with his sore shoulder and Lonzo Ball has been out for some time now.
While it is likely that we will see all three play again before the end of the year, one can’t help but feel as if this year, the injuries, and the Anthony Davis trade rumors may have stunted the growth of the Lakers promising young core.
Although the Lakers have plenty of salary cap flexibility heading into free agency this offseason, they will need support players around whichever (if any) star LeBron is able to coax to play alongside him. Brandon Ingram, in particular, has finally shown flashes of his elite scoring and why he was taken second overall. Lonzo Ball also looks to be an excellent non-ball-dominant piece who brings excellent defense to the table. Kuzma also looks to be a fantastic natural scoring talent who has worked hard to improve on the defensive side of the ball this season. If utilized properly (and kept healthy), the three should be able to be the backbone of an excellent supporting cast for LeBron in his twilight years.