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Lakers Odds to Make 2019 NBA Playoffs Keep Getting Worse

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball

Updated Apr 9, 2020 · 10:30 AM PDT

LeBron James
LeBron James and the Lakers are in very real danger of missing the playoffs. Photo by Prensa Internacional/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire)
  • LeBron and the Lakers are in serious danger of missing the playoffs
  • The Clippers continue to push despite dealing their best player in Tobias Harris
  • Who will clinch the 7-8 seeds in the West?

If you squint your eyes and really, really  looked, you might still see a glimmer of hope for the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff chances as they returned from the All-Star break and dramatically came from 19 points down to upend the Rockets.

Then again, after soul-crushing losses in subsequent games to the Pelicans and Grizzlies, it may be best to look away.

Such is the reality in Laker Land these days, as they sit three games out of eighth in the West with 22 games to go and two teams still ahead of them to get to eighth.

This was a team that has seen its 2019 NBA playoff odds lengthen from +120 on February 19th to as high as +300 on February 27th.

There’s a lot of work to be done. Can it happen?

Odds for Western Conference Teams to Make NBA Playoffs

Team Record Seed Odds to Make Odds to Miss
Los Angeles Clippers 34-28 7 -450 +275
San Antonio Spurs 33-29 8 -600 +350
Sacramento Kings 31-29 9 +350 -600
Minnesota Timberwolves 29-31 10 +800 -2500
Los Angeles Lakers 29-31 11 +200 -300

*Odds taken on 02/27/19

Will LeBron’s Playoff Run End at 13 years?

Blame in-game coaching, roster building, locker-room jarring trade rumors and, of course, the ongoing injuries.

But more than anything else, the Lakers aren’t playing well. The only real positive is their 12th-ranked defensive rating, and their top-10 placements in field-goal percentage and rebounding.

They are 15th in scoring, and they surrender 113.5 points a game, which puts them in 23rd place. And in this modern NBA, they can’t shoot, ranking 27th in three point percentage. Those poor rims.

But the worst part may be the glaring lack of effort by LeBron himself. Forget activating playoff mode – at this point, the Lakers will settle for trying mode.

That being said, James is still the best player among the group of teams chasing the postseason, and we’ve watched him too many times get hot and carry a team on his own. He’s been to the Finals eight straight years, and the playoffs 13.

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Can Clippers, Spurs Maintain?

It’s in the best interest of the Clippers to not make it, so as to keep their upcoming first round pick rather than surrendering it to Boston. Try telling that to the players though, who’ve weathered the Tobias Harris trade and actually moved up a spot to seventh, while going 4-3 post-Harris.

The real team in trouble of slipping is the Spurs, whose remarkable playoff run could halt at 21 years. Their annual Rodeo Trip was an internal combustion, going 1-7 while giving up a league-worst 122.1 points per 100 possessions over that period. Even with 12 of their final 20 games at home, a team shorthanded since opening day may just be running out of steam.

How Does the Bottom Half of the West Shake Out?

The true value bets on this board are the Kings (+350) to make playoffs and the Spurs (+350) to miss.

Sacramento has hung tough all year, going 5-4 in February despite having to deal with Golden State, Denver, OKC, Houston, and Philly during that stretch.

The schedule lightens substantially, as they have one of the three easiest remaining schedules to play.

While they’re 26th in the league in surrendering points per game, they sit above .500 with a top-10 scoring offense, rank in the top 10 in assists, and have the fourth best three point shooting mark in the NBA (while holding the opposition to the third worst shooting percentage from behind the arc).

Their electric backcourt of Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox, and the exciting core of bigs makes them an enticing pick.

And yet… I’m telling you to choose the King over the Kings. Going against LeBron can wait just one more year.

If you’re really feeling frisky, taking the Spurs and  Clippers (+275 ) to miss out and taking the Kings and Lakers to make it would be a hefty longshot that could conceivably happen.

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