The Los Angeles Lakers are supposed to be one of the storied franchises in all of the NBA.
This is a team that owns a career-winning percentage of 59.2% and has won over 3,400 games in franchise history. This team owns only 18 losing seasons. After an atrocious start to the season, there was a belief that the team could finish with its worst record in franchise history. The team’s franchise record for most losses came during Kobe Bryant’s final season in the league when the team went 17-65 in 2015-16.
With a 14-21 record, it appears that the team is going to avoid being the worst team in franchise history. With that said, the team sits with the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference, an injured Anthony Davis, an aging LeBron James, and a terrible contract with Russell Westbrook. It appears that the team needs a miracle if the Lakers are going to sniff the playoffs this season.
Last night, Miami Heat were the favorite and easily beat Los Angeles Lakers 112-98. After the game, LeBron James wasn’t happy and didn’t hold back when he admitted that he doesn’t want to finish his career playing for a team which is not at a championship level.
Los Angeles Lakers are in a tough situation right now and even though they are just four games away from a play-in tournament spot, they will be without Anthony Davis until at least mid-January. That means every game is a playoff game for Darvin Ham’s team and at this moment, it is not realistic that they will be in the playoffs when they start in April 2023.
After the Lakers started the season 0-3, we predicted every game for the season. That was when the Lakers took on the Nuggets on October 26. According to our estimates, the Lakers would be 11-24, which is right around where the Houston Rockets lie with their worst record in the Western Conference. We weren’t too far off. Now that we have some data, we can likely predict the Lakers’ wins and losses for the rest of the season.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Atlanta Hawks – Loss
Date: Friday, December 30
Even though the Hawks haven’t looked spectacular this season, the backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray is too good to pass on. Clint Capela should have a monster game inside given the lack of inside presence with Davis’ injury. Beating the Lakers should be an easy game.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Charlotte Hornets – Win
Date: Monday, January 2
The Hornets look like a dumpster fire. The only storyline worth talking about will be the media talking about how the Lakers can trade for Terry Rozier. If the Lakers lose this game, the city will burn up in flames. The Hornets are looking for the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat – Win
Date: Wednesday, January 4
A new year and a new mentality will help the Lakers steal this home win. The Heat have been very inconsistent this season. Plus, playing his old team should spark some nostalgic memories for LeBron, so he will have a huge game. It will be vintage LeBron carrying his team to a victory while the Heat continues to search for answers.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Atlanta Hawks – Loss
Date: Friday, January 6
It’s deja vu when it comes to talking about this situation. For the same reasons that the Hawks beat the Lakers in Atlanta, the Hawks are going to put away any type of winning streak ideas. The team could be without Davis by this time but his return was set to be between seven to ten days and that was said right around Christmas. For now, we are saying that this is his final game before he returns.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Sacramento Kings – Loss
Date: Saturday, January 7
The Kings aren’t a bad team and this game being on the road, with the first game of Davis coming back from an injury, just doesn’t seem like it is going to end well for the Lakers. It’s a lot easier to play well when you are playing for something. The Lakers are supposed to be playing for a playoff spot, but this could be the game that finally pushes the team over the edge to make a move.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets – Loss
Date: Monday, January 9
Another losing streak causes the Lakers fans to panic. The Nuggets will be leading the West at this time and it will show their dominance over the Lakers once again. There isn’t much to see here as Nikola Jokic terrorizes the team offensively, while Aaron Gordon locks down Davis defensively. Westbrook scores three points in what feels like a game that replicates insanity.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks – Loss
Date: Thursday, January 12
In the original post, the Lakers would win this game, but with the momentum sweeping farther down, the Mavericks will rise and show the city what they wished they had. One day, Doncic could be a Laker because of his star status. Then again, they would have to rip him from Mark Cuban’s hands. Doncic scores 50 points at the Staples Center and the Lakers walk slowly to the locker room.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers – Loss
Date: Sunday, January 15
The losing streak stretches to five with another solid team coming to town. A healthy James Harden picks up another 20-20 game of the season with 23 points and 21 assists. Joel Embiid looks unstoppable and the 76ers blow out the Lakers in an easy win. The question was who was going to stop Embiid? There is nobody on this Lakers roster capable of doing that.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets – Win
Date: Monday, January 16
The Rockets, Spurs, and Lakers might be flirting with the worst record in the West at this point. With that said, the Lakers are still better than the Rockets on paper. By now, the team could have traded Eric Gordon. If not, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith will entertain the crowd with what the future looks like.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings – Win
Date: Wednesday, January 18
The Lakers finally steal a game against the Kings since the team is at home. Domantas Sabonis has an off night while Davis carries the team with a strong game. LeBron flirts with a triple-double and Westbrook doesn’t have eight turnovers.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies – Loss
Date: Friday, January 20
Fans showing up to this game will be in attendance for Ja Morant. All eyes will be on the high flier who will lead the Grizzlies to a big win. With Jaren Jackson Jr. healthy and anchoring the defense, getting inside shots on Jackson and Steven Adams will not work. Outside shooting doesn’t work with the Lakers as the Grizzlies will use their stars to lead their way to a win. This Grizzlies team is contending for the No. 1 seed in the West. It will make fans do a double take at the names on the roster for both sides and then where each team is in the standings.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Portland Trail Blazers – Win
Date: Sunday, January 22
The Trail Blazers aren’t exactly a reliable team this year. The team is right around average basketball. You can’t lose all of your road games, so maybe the Lakers find a way to pull this one out? Maybe, the injury bug hits Portland, or Damian Lillard is sick with the flu. Either way, the Lakers will get lucky and escape the city with a win.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers – Loss
Date: Tuesday, January 24
Even with Kawhi Leonard’s health being a major question mark this season, the Clippers are playing very solid basketball. The team is one game away from taking over the top spot in the West. John Wall is one of the best backups in the league, while Ivica Zubac is having an underrated season. Combine that with an even scoring attack that features five players shooting 37% or better from three-point range, this is going to be an ugly loss for the Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs – Win
Date: Wednesday, January 25
Not too many teams are worse than the Lakers but enter San Antonio. The Spurs are going to be looking toward the lottery. The team should be looking for teams to take Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott, and Jakob Poeltl by now. With a piece or two out of the picture, the Spurs will be looking for every loss they can get.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics – Loss
Date: Saturday, January 28
The Lakers and Celtics rivalry used to have some flare to it. Now, it feels like a wash-win for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum is up there for candidacy as the next face of the league once the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant retire. His offense with the defense this team brings each night should be an easy win for Boston.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Brooklyn Nets – Loss
Date: Monday, January 30
This has more of a rivalry feeling to it because of the names. Kyrie Irving against LeBron James. Kevin Durant against Russell Westbrook. Even though Ben Simmons has fallen short of All-Star expectations, the Nets are playing competitive basketball. The Nets are the better team and will win this narrow back-and-forth battle by one point.
Los Angeles Lakers @ New York Knicks – Win
Date: Tuesday, January 31
Something about Madison Square Garden will insert a new power into LeBron and Westbrook. Both will have spectacular games as the Lakers steal a game on the road. The Knicks will use this game to bark at management about how the team needs to trade for a third superstar as the team continues to float around .500.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Indiana Pacers – Win
Date: Thursday, February 2
The next batch of games features some potential for a winning streak. The Pacers will continue to have Buddy Hield and Myles Turner for some reason. The Lakers will win this game and then there will be a conversation after the game. Will the Lakers trade their two first-round picks for Turner and Hield? That will be the narrative more than the Lakers winning their second game in a row.
Los Angeles Lakers @ New Orleans Pelicans – Loss
Date: Saturday, February 4
Even though Davis is coming back to New Orleans, the Pelicans are a really solid team. Zion Williamson is playing exactly the way the world thought he would play when he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2019. Davis will have a monster game back in his city that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2012. With that said, Brandon Ingram will remind Lakers fans that he was the piece traded to get Davis and he will throw a 40-spot up as the Pelicans continue to compete for the No. 1 seed.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – Loss
Date: Tuesday, February 7
The idea of beating the Thunder isn’t as easy as it used to be. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing like an All-NBA Team member. In a rare moment, the world will be watching SGA pile up the points to beat up the Lakers. In his 38-point game, the Thunder will hang on by a thread as the team takes a 102-101 victory thanks to late-game defense.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks – Loss
Date: Thursday, February 9
Giannis Antetokounmpo might win the league MVP for the third time in his career. It’s hard to say if Davis will be healthy at this point but let’s say that he is. Even with Davis in the middle, Giannis is a one-man wrecking crew right now. By now, Khris Middleton will have finally revved up to be conditioned. The Bucks will be complete and unstoppable to the Lakers. Plus, today is the trade deadline. Not only do the Lakers lose, but Westbrook remains on the team.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors – Win
Date: Saturday, February 11
LeBron and Steph Curry go back. After all, the two played in four consecutive NBA Finals against each other. For some reason, this old rivalry will spark up old feelings and LeBron will have a great game. The Warriors will lose a game at home and that’s all there is to it.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Portland Trail Blazers – Win
Date: Monday, February 13
The Lakers match up well with the Trail Blazers if Davis is healthy. For the sake of sanity, Davis will be healthy for this game. The Trail Blazers will be without top big man Jusuf Nurkic for whatever reason, while Lillard has an off-night shooting. The Lakers take advantage to win a game on the road.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans – Win
Date: Wednesday, February 15
Call it a revenge game, but Davis has the night of his life. The team comes back from a 15-point deficit to win this game at home. Zion Williamson shows California what they are missing, but Davis brings a night with 43 points and 17 rebounds. The Lakers desperately get a win and Davis gets a laugh after beating his old team.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors – Loss
Date: Thursday, February 23
The Warriors are finally healthy and are starting to click. The team is sitting around the nine seed and every win matters for Golden State. With Curry back in the fold, the Splash Bros combine for 45 points. The display of outside shooting makes Laker fans jealous of what they never had for the two-year Westbrook experiment.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks – Loss
Date: Sunday, February 26
Stopping Luka Doncic is hard for any team but it is extremely hard for the Lakers. The team throws Pat Beverley, LeBron, and Westbrook at him and Doncic torches the team for 52 points. Even if Doncic doesn’t reach the 50-spot, the Lakers are not able to find an answer for the complete team in Dallas.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies – Win
Date: Tuesday, February 28
This feels like a game where the Lakers get a surprise road win. Of all players, Lonnie Walker IV erupts for 38 points and has the game of his life. It would be Morant making a few top-10 players but Walker would get the last laugh to help the Lakers escape Memphis with a win.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Oklahoma City Thunder – Loss
Date: Wednesday, March 1
Stringing together road wins has been an issue all season for the Lakers. The Thunder made it hard again with a win. Josh Giddey flirts with a triple-double, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reaches 30 points yet another time. The homecoming for Westbrook leaves him with defeat as the Lakers continue to have a woeful season.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – Win
Date: Friday, March 3
The Timberwolves are right up there with the Lakers in having a disastrous season. With the Timberwolves playing as inconsistent as the Lakers, the meeting between the No. 12 and No. 13 seeds does not have a lot of luster despite the names on the court. D’Angelo Russell could be gone from this team by now as well and that leaves two big men with a scoring win in Anthony Edwards. The Lakers take advantage of the dysfunction with a win.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors – Loss
Date: Sunday, March 5
The Warriors are starting to peek and play some of their best basketball which means bad news for the Lakers. With the return of Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors look like a complete team. Wiggins limits LeBron to a rough night, while the bench players step up in a big way. James Wiseman contributes 10 points and five rebounds, while Jonathan Kuminga erupts for 17 points.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies – Loss
Date: Tuesday, March 7
The losing streak continues as the Grizzlies keep pressing for the No. 1 seed in the West. Ja Morant explodes for a dunk. Dillon Brooks had a double-double. Davis rolls an ankle and has to leave in the second quarter and Westbrook finishes with eight turnovers. You know, just a typical night for the Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors – Win
Date: Friday, March 10
With the Raptors potentially reeling after trading away their players, the Lakers can escape with a close win. The Lakers limit Pascal Siakam to 17 points and five rebounds with Davis having the better game. With LeBron adding a double-double, the Lakers can end the losing streak.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks – Loss
Date: Sunday, March 12
It’s hard to say where the Knicks will be at this time but the team will likely be in the playoff hunt. Assuming the Knicks added at the deadline, the team will be better on paper. In the battle of two large market teams, former Laker Julius Randle had the best night with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. He also made three 3-point shots in the 15-point win.
Los Angeles Lakers @ New Orleans Pelicans – Loss
Date: Tuesday, March 14
The Pelicans are battling for the top seed in the conference and need a win. The team is motivated and clearly in a position to compete for a top-three position in the standings. Williamson explodes offensively and beats Davis in every aspect of the game. Valanciunas adds a double-double as the Pelicans use the rebounding advantage to bully their way to a win over the Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets – Win
Date: Wednesday, March 15
With the Lakers continuously playing out of the playoff picture, they are met by another bad team. The Lakers take advantage of the youth of the Rockets by winning this game. There are talks about LeBron sitting out the rest of the season as the team is pushing their way out of the play-in tournament. The highlight of the night is Jabari Smith Jr. throwing down a transition dunk.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks – Loss
Date: Friday, March 17
What will Doncic do in his last game at the Staples Center? The Luka Doncic show could feature a triple-double or just a game of 40 points. Anything is possible when playing against this star. With the Lakers frustrated by their place in the standings, the effort level is at an all-time low. Doncic has himself a game of 30 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. The Mavericks win easily.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Orlando Magic – Win
Date: Sunday, March 19
Even though the Magic are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner make this a close game. The Lakers need late-game heroics from LeBron to come away with the wind by four points. Westbrook has a triple-double, including a late-game steal to set up free throws to help seal the win.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns – Loss
Date: Wednesday, March 22
The Suns have everything to play for and the Lakers are nearly clinched out of the playoff race. Even though there is a minuscule bit of light in the tunnel for the Lakers, the Suns use their new superstar at the deadline to punch out the Lakers. The championship-caliber roster of the Suns makes quick work of the Lakers. LeBron is so frustrated that he walks off the court as fast as he can.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – Win
Date: Friday, March 24
With three winnable games approaching, the Lakers need to pull off some miraculous winning to even be considered for the play-in tournament. After losing to the Thunder most of the season, the team can put together a great game of basketball to come away with this win. There is no lightning in the bottle for the Thunder as the Lakers take this game with a strong performance from the frontcourt. The Thunder appears to be trying to race the Lakers to the back of the standings and help their chances of getting a lottery pick.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls – Win
Date: Sunday, March 26
With no DeMar DeRozan, there will be no late-game heroics for the Bulls. Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball will also miss the game due to health concerns. With the Bulls completely depleted, the Lakers can rely on LeBron to carry the team to another win.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Chicago Bulls – Win
Date: Wednesday, March 29
The Bulls are also fighting for a play-in spot but the team continues to have injury concerns. The team will be without Ball and LaVine again. With no true scoring threat on this team, the Bulls will once again be defeated by the Lakers. The Lakers will give a glimmer of hope and force fans to watch their games again with hopes of making the play-in tournament.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Minnesota Timberwolves – Loss
Date: Friday, March 31
The Lakers have now surged their way back to three games out of the play-in tournament thanks to help around the league. The Timberwolves are one of the other teams battling for the play-in tournament as well. The scoring from Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns picked up the slack. Patrick Beverley can only be wishing he was back with the Timberwolves. The loss pushes the Lakers down to 3.5 games out of the No. 10 seed with five games left.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets – Win
Date: Sunday, April 2
The Rockets are throwing out whatever young player they can at this point. Even with Davis leading the way and padding his stats, the Lakers are good enough to beat the lowly Rockets. The win allows the Lakers to be three games out of the play-in tournament with three games to play. It sets up must-win scenarios and it forces James to play out the season even though he should have been shut down weeks ago.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Utah Jazz – Win
Date: Tuesday, April 4
The Lakers can pick another win over a team that is in the middle of the pack for the play-in tournament. The Lakers can use a big game from their big three. It brings up the question of why the big three couldn’t play like this all season. The Jazz sinks to the brink of elimination while the Lakers are in control of their destiny. With three wins, the Lakers can clinch the No. 10 seed.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Los Angeles Clippers – Loss
Date: Wednesday, April 5
Which team spoils the fun for the Lakers? Of course, it’s their rival. The team could have shut down Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for rest, but both end up playing as the Clippers are trying to secure a top-3 seed. With the Jazz winning tonight, it knocks the Lakers out of playoff contention. The Clippers are too much for the Lakers, who look exhausted at this point. The season is over for the Lakers and the look of defeat sums up the theme that the team has felt all season.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns – Loss
Date: Friday, April 7
The Suns are looking to keep pace with the Clippers and Warriors for a top seed. The Lakers have nothing to lose so the team plays a bunch of younger players with Westbrook. By the end of the night, Westbrook takes 30 shots and the Clippers blow past the Lakers for an easy win.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz – Loss
Date: Sunday, April 9
The Lakers throw out an unknown lineup as Westbrook, James, and Davis are done. Kendrick Nunn leads the team in scoring with 17 points as the Jazz cruise past the Lakers. The Staples Center is empty and the disastrous season finally comes to an end.
Final Record – 35-47
Thanks to the few mini-win streaks that the Lakers have during the season, the team can avoid making history with less than 30 wins. Six times in the history of the franchise has there been a season where the Lakers won less than 30 games. Four of those seasons were in the midst of the 2010s. The team went 27-55 during the 2013-14 season, 26-56 in the 2016-17 season, and 21-61 during the 2014-15 season.
Even though the Lakers avoid making history for being one of the worst teams, it doesn’t help the current situation. This was supposed to be a championship contender but the team’s inability to truly build what they thought they built is an indictment of management.
This feels like a similar situation to those teams in the mid 2010s. Those teams were historically bad because the team was capped with money tied to Kobe Bryant. The team will be on the hook for $86 million to just Davis and LeBron next season. LeBron is not a top-10 player in this league but is still a very good player despite his age. Unfortunately, the team took a chance on dealing complementary role players for someone like Westbrook which has doomed the team since the start of last year.
Westbrook will finally be gone after this season, but does Laker nation trust that management can construct a team in such a short time? James, Davis, Damian Jones, and Max Christie are the only NBA contracts on the books for next year. It’s going to take a lot of maneuvering and based on the last two years, the Lakers have a lot to do to gain the trust back from fans.
Source: fadeawayworld
