The red-hot Los Angeles Lakers have put themselves in a position where they could possibly choose their path in the NBA Playoffs.
It's been a far from picture-perfect season for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, even after deciding to stand pat at the NBA Trade Deadline, this is a team that has begun to play much better since February 1. In their last 30 games, the Lakers are 21-9, good enough for the fourth-best record in the NBA. Even though they haven't a huge move up the Western Conference standings, they're a half-game out of the 8th seed and 1.5 games back of the 7th seed.
With how well the Lakers have played recently, there's a good chance they'll be able to slide into the 7th or 8th seed before the end of the regular season. And if they do, it could present the Lakers with somewhat of a "choose-your-own-adventure" scenario heading into the NBA Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers could choose their own first-round opponent
And with the Denver Nuggets still not locked into a seed, that scenario could prove to be extremely valuable to the Lakers. If they do finish as the 7th or 8th seed, there's a chance they'll have the opportunity to either rest their players for the first Play-In Tournament game, if they want to avoid the Nuggets if they end up as the second seed, and completely sellout for the fight for the 8th seed.
Or on the contrary, if the Nuggets do end up as the No. 1 seed, the Lakers will know heading into that first Play-In Tournament game with a must-win mindset.
Either way, as one of the hottest teams in the league, as they've won nine of their last 11 games, the Lakers could have an interesting scenario play out before them heading into the postseason.
It's certainly not an ideal scenario for the Lakers but it's certainly a better spot than where the team was a couple of months ago. If Los Angeles can head into the Play-In Tournament in the 7th or 8th spot, they should feel good about their chances to choose their own spot in the bracket heading into the postseason.
Of course, beating whoever finishes as the 7th or 8th seed opposite of them will be no easy task, but controlling their own destiny in choosing their first-round opponent is certainly something they will take 10 out of 10 times. And they'll feel good about it especially if LeBron and AD are healthy.