The NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves playing in the second year of the new play in tournament that was added last season. To recap, the play in tournament features eight teams, four from the East and four from the West. The 7th and 8th seed teams of each conference play one game and the winner enters the playoff as the 8th seed team. The loser, gets a second chance and plays the winner of a game that takes place between the 9th and 10th seed teams of each conference for the 8th and last spot of the playoffs. The Lakers are now officially the 7th seed and will be featured in another match up between LeBron James and Stephen Curry with the Warriors becoming the 8th seed after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies who will play the San Antonio Spurs (10th seed).

This season was a tough one for Lakers fans with the team facing numerous injuries including months of games missed by their top three players LeBron, Anthony Davis, and Dennis Schröder. It seemed as if we never fully got to see the squad at full strength and clicking since the start of the season. The team did fare well while missing both LeBron and Anthony Davis but the end of April and early May was a difficult slump to get through. Fortunately as the regular season came to an end the team finished with a 5-game winning streak. With the play in tournament a real possibility, LeBron, Davis and Schroeder back, and players like Wesley Matthews and KCP finding their rhythm, the Lakers look like a team no-one will want to play against. This proved to be right with both Denver and the Clippers basically doing their best to avoid a first round match up with the Lakers in their final few games of the season.

Had the Lakers faced the Memphis Grizzlies in the play in their next game, it may have felt like we’d expect a bit of a tune up game leading up to the playoffs. Now that we know who the Lakers face the Warriors, it will not only be an exciting matchup between two of the leagues biggest stars of the past decade, but it will also be a great test considering Stephen Curry has been putting on a show , some might say an MVP level season and he still has Draymond Green by his side along with a few role players to give the Lakers a challenge. The likelihood that the Lakers defeat the Warriors is high, and even if they lose, its a safe bet they easily beat the San Antonio Spurs or Memphis Grizzlies to get the 8th spot.

Once the play in tournament concludes, the Lakers are in a pretty favorable position facing either the 1st seed Utah Jazz or the 2nd seed Phoenix Suns who they defeated during the 5 game winning streak and being shorthanded. Facing the Suns appears to be the best case scenario for LA with Phoenix having little answers for AD, who dropped 42 points to go along with 12 rebounds, whereas the Jazz have one of the best defending big men in the league in Rudy Gobert. The main concern for the Lakers in the tournament and playoffs is staying healthy. On the last game of the season against the Pelicans, LeBron rolled his ankle, however he is expected to be good to go for Wednesday’s play in game. The Lakers can live to fight another day if LeBron needs more rest but having all hands on deck, especially AD, LeBron, and Schröder will be needed once they face teams like the Clippers and Jazz to get in the finals and for a shot at another 2peat.