How Lakers and Spurs could both make playoffs

Ryan and Matt discuss how the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs could make the playoffs

Matt Bassin: it’s completely different situations for them too. Like the spurs have accepted their fate and went to youth, they got one guy that’s 30, that’d be Douggie McBuckets, Doug McDermott. But other than that, everyone else is 28 or younger. They’re led by a young cat Dejounte Murray and he’s having a heck of a season so far.

Meanwhile, the Lakers go out and make these big splash signings. They bring in Mellow and they bring in Westbrook. They also bring in some young cats and a Kendrick Nunn and a Malik Monk, but those weren’t the headline names, and the three stars of this team, LeBron, A.D, Westbrook were supposed to be this, the trio that leads them to the promised land.

They’d played 20 games together this year. And in those 20 games, they’re 11 and nine. There hasn’t been time for growth. Through these three stars, injuries have taken their toll. Anthony Davis, just the man is brittle. Like he is great when he is in and he’s healthy. He’s fantastic. But damn it. If he can’t stay on the floor and LeBron having bad luck now, with rolling an ankle in Westbrook, Westbrook’s come on as of late offensively, but it’s just not a mesh it’s not a mesh at all.

And these two teams. Both fighting for these last couple of playoff spots, they can get to both be in it at nine and 10. That jumped to eight. It’s a little bit tougher because the Clippers have about a four and a half-game lead in the Lakers, a five-game lead on the spurs, but the ninth spot with the Pelicans is a half-game over the Lakers, a full game over the spurs that is reachable.

They both get in, but it’s tough sledding, especially, For LA, they’ve got a go at Dallas at Utah, and then they’re home against Denver at Phoenix at Golden State, and they finish the year at Denver. So pretty tough sledding for the Lakers. The Spurs, a little bit of an easier schedule will be, they still got to take on Memphis.

They got to take on Denver in Denver. They got to take on the warriors. They got to take on the Mav’s but they got a couple of games against Portland and a game against Minnesota, not a walkover either. So they both got a tough sled at the end. And I don’t know if either one of, I think one of them has to get in, cause the behind them is the Trailblazers who are four games back. So one of the Lakers or Spurs are going to be in the playoffs, possibly both. If the Pelicans basically lose out and they…

Ryan Griffin: I think, and look, it’s not like it’s getting any user aside from the tough schedule, Anthony Davis doesn’t seem like he’s close to coming back anytime soon.

LeBron James just today was ruled out in a game where you figure if the injury, at least wasn’t a little bit serious, he’d probably be playing to secure the Lakers’ spot. At least in the play-in tournament. You mentioned the Clippers who are sitting there as the 8th seed, Paul George is coming back.

So they’re going to be a better team. Zion is just now traveling with the Pelicans. So who knows maybe you need the Pelicans to lose one of those last two games or both of those last two games in order to make it in. But if he is back, that’s another, that’s a boost to New Orleans. That’s going to make it harder for you to get in.

So for these teams, It’s no easy sledding. I wish they could play each other on the last game of the year. I wish it worked out like that. And like a winner gets into the play-in type of situation. Yeah. Like a play-in for the play-in tournament. That’d be, that would be super cool.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out like that.

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