LeBron James and Anthony Davis

The Los Angeles Lakers are no strangers to the Play-In Round. In 2021, the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the first round of Playin to become the No. 7 seed in the West. Two years later, the Lakers once again won the No. 7 seed through a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Playin round.

And in the 2023/24 season, the Lakers are facing the possibility of once again starting the Playoffs phase with the Playin round. Although there is still a chance to rise and finish in the top 6, stability is something the Lakers have always lacked over the past year.

Join Sporting News in predicting the Lakers’ chances and position after the regular season ends.

Updated NBA Western rankings

With a record of 40-32, the Lakers are currently ranked 9th in the West. They are 1.5 games ahead of the Warriors ranked lower and 2 games behind the Suns.

 

Class
Team
Achievements
Difference

1
Nuggets
51-21
—

2
Thunder
50-21
0.5

3
Timberwolves
49-22
1.5

4
Clippers
44-27
6.5

5
Pelicans
44-28
7

6
Mavericks
43-29
8

7
Kings
42-30
9

8
Suns
42-30
9

9
Lakers
40-32
11

10
Warriors

37-34
13.5

—
Rockets
36-35
14.5

Lakers’ remaining schedule

The Lakers have 10 games left, 7 of which are away from home.  According to Tankathon , the Lakers have the 6th easiest schedule of late in the NBA. Tankathon’s rankings only calculate the combined winning percentage of the remaining opponents but do not consider the home – away field factor.1

 

However, the good news for the Lakers is that the team ranked above them, the Phoenix Suns, has a very difficult schedule. Suns also have 10 matches left, however the opponents they meet are all very strong and highly ranked.

Below is a list of upcoming Lakers opponents.