Lakers News: Writer Predicts New-Look LA Makes Playoffs As 8 Seed In West

The new talent and experience of the group should help the Lakers secure a spot in the playoffs.

The trade deadline shook things up, giving many teams including the Los Angeles Lakers a brand new look. With the recent player movement, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report released an updated article that discussed their latest 2023 NBA playoff bracket predictions. In this list, the Lakers are predicted to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

During the trade deadline, Rob Pelinka and the front office made significant moves in hopes to turn around the team and raise their chances of making the playoffs. The team acquired D'Angelo Russell from Minnesota in exchange for a 2024 draft pick while also picking up Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley in exchange for Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, Russel Westbrook, and a draft consideration.

For the majority of the season, LA has struggled to produce consistency. The Lakers are currently 13th in the West with a 27-32 record. With the way things stand now, Bleacher Report predicted LA going up against the No. 1 seed in the West, the Denver Nuggets. After the Lakers picked up their new guys at the trade deadline, they instantly improved the team — so much so that the Lakers finally made their first appearance on these playoff-bracket predictions.

“This is finally a playoff-caliber roster, one that recently started three new additions (D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt) around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

This should be one of the bench units in the league now as well, one that features Dennis Schroder, Lonnie Walker IV, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Mo Bamba.

One can point at the Lakers' lousy record or their 13th-place standing, but this team is just two games out of the play-in tournament and teams like the New Orleans Pelicans (Zion Williamson) and Minnesota Timberwolves (Karl-Anthony Towns) still have serious injury concerns with their top big men.”

There is no doubt the Lakers have had a difficult season so far, dealing with a myriad of injuries themselves, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James sidelined for a handful of games. So, even with the new talent revitalizing the team, the Lakers’ success is heavily dependent on the health of their star duo, James and AD.

Nevertheless, the Lakers' recent acquisitions have given fans reason to be hopeful about the team's chances of making the playoffs this season. While there are still some concerns about LA's ability to compete, the talent and experience of the group should help the Lakers secure a spot in the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. 

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