Life is always full of irony. April 15th has always been a day of infamy for most Americans as income taxes become due but, in this crazy Covid colored world, it could be a day of resurrection for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Not only has the IRS changed the due date for filing income taxes for this year to May 17 but the Lakers are working with California health officials to begin welcoming back live fans to Staples Center starting on April 15th. Meanwhile, Marc Stein of the New York Times has reported that there’s a good chance Anthony Davis may return to action after the team’s 7-gtame road trip when the Lakers play the Celtics at Staples Center on April 15.
Finally, to put the cherry on top of this pipe dream sundae, LeBron James has finally taken off the protective boot he’s been wearing while recovering from his high ankle sprain and could possibly be ready to return by April 15. So if the Lakers can survive another week and steal a few more wins over the next four games, they might be able start their resurrection and drive to the playoffs on April 15 in front of fans and maybe with both LeBron and AD.
Right now the Lakers are in 5th place in the West with a 32–19 record. If they can win three of the last four games on the road trip, they would head into the second half of April 35–20 with 17 games remaining before the playoffs. While the Jazz are seven and Suns five losses ahead of them, the Lakers could have a realistic chance of overtaking both the Clippers and Nuggets who are just one loss ahead of them and securing the 3rd seed in the West.
3rd seed is a lot better than being 7th through 10th and having to win in the Play-In Tournament just to get into the playoffs. It would also force the 4th and 5th seed Clippers and Nuggets to play each other in a first round series. The Lakers as 3rd seed would likely play the Blazers or or Mavericks in the first round, then the 2nd seed Suns in the second round, and then the 1st seed Jazz, or 4th or 5th seed Clippers or Nuggets in the conference finals.
While it’s not a sure thing that we’ll see fans in Staples and LeBron and AD in the lineup on April 15, there’s certainly a chance it could happen then or soon after. We know how much LeBron and the team have missed their fans. Suddenly, home court could once again become a major advantage and finishing 3rd would insure the Lakers home court in the first round of the playoffs and in the conference finals against any team but the Utah Jazz.
There’s also the possibility the Lakers may decide April 15 should be the day they hang the 2020 NBA Championship banner. If they do that, it’s hard for me imagine LeBron James not wanting to lace up his sneakers and play.
Lots of reasons for optimism with respect to the Lakers chances of getting fans, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis back on or shortly after April 15.
Why is that important? First, unless we have a serious Covid-19 relapse, which is possible, there’s a good chance there will be fans in the stands again for the NBA Playoffs. That means seeding could once again be important.
While the Lakers aren’t going to catch the Jazz who are 7 losses ahead of them at #1 or the Suns who are 5 games ahead of them at #2, the #5 Lakers are just 1 loss behind the #3 Clippers and #4 Nuggets. So if the Lakers can hold ground on this road trip and get LeBron, AD, and fans back on or soon after April 15, they have a good shot at earning the #3 seed and pushing the Clippers and Nuggets to #4 and #5.
Why is that important. It’s the playoff bracket. First round, #1 plays #8, #2 plays #7, #3 plays #6, and #4 plays #5. That means Clippers and Nuggets get a rematch and this year the loser gets dumped in the first not the second round. Lakers meanwhile play the Blazers or Mavs.
Second round, Lakers play winner of #2 and #7, likely the Suns, while the winner of #4 vs. #5 plays the winner of #1 and #8. In other words, winner of Clippers and Nuggets play the Jazz. That in a nutshell is why the Lakers need to win the #3 seed.
Good work LT!
5 contenders Nuggs Jazz Suns Lakers Clippers one of them gets bounced in the 1st round.
Last year it was Jazz 😬😬😬😬
While I think the LeBron timeline is a more unrealistic than optimistic one ( 2 weeks from de-booting will put us closer to the 4/22 game against Dallas) it all bodes well for the team getting a handful of games in prior to the post-season which is great news.
West playoffs will be a grind. 4-5 matchup could be similar to WC Finals matchup in previous years.