The Los Angeles Lakers are enjoying mixed results so far this season under rookie head coach JJ Redick, as the franchise is in the hunt for a Playoff spot as the No. 8 seed with a 13-11 record through the first 24 games. They have had a mixed December so far with two wins (Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers) and three losses (Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks).
- Lakers @ Timberwolves (December 13; 8 PM EST)
- Grizzlies @ Lakers (December 15; 9:30 PM EST)
- Lakers @ Kings (December 19; 10 PM EST)
- Lakers @ Kings (December 21; 6 PM EST)
- Pistons @ Lakers (December 23; 10:30 PM EST)
- Lakers @ Warriors (December 25; 8 PM EST)
- Kings @ Lakers (December 28; 10:30 PM EST)
- Cavaliers @ Lakers (December 31; 9 PM EST)
- What Will The Lakers Record Be?
They need to turn their form around to see out the year if they want to be well-placed for the grind that comes in the NBA after January. They were well behind the pace of other Playoff teams in the last two seasons by the end of December, needing to pull massive results through the end of the season which fatigued the team as they headed into the Playoffs.
Under JJ Redick and his new philosophy, how will the Lakers cope with their final eight games of the season against top teams in the NBA?
Lakers @ Timberwolves (December 13; 8 PM EST)
The Lakers return to the court at the end of this week when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. Both teams will come into this game after a mini-break due to the NBA Cup quarterfinals taking place, something which could benefit the Lakers given their injury-stricken roster. LeBron James didn’t play their last game against the Trail Blazers, so he’ll be coming off over a week’s rest to face a motivated Timberwolves roster, who are facing similar struggles to the Lakers.
If there’s a toss-up in this stretch of games, it’s this one, with both teams 1-1 so far this season.
Prediction: Lakers def. Wolves 114-108
Grizzlies @ Lakers (December 15; 9:30 PM EST)
This is going to be a tough game to predict because the Lakers have had the Memphis Grizzlies‘ number over the last few seasons, but a healthy Grizzlies could present some major problems to the Lakers now.
Many fans consider this an easy game based on the matchup, as the Lakers are 10-5 against the Grizzlies since 2023, but the Grizzlies are the No. 2 seed in the West this season for a reason.
They’ve been doing well with a healthy roster, along with the excellence of Ja Morant and the evolution of Jaren Jackson Jr. as a more dynamic offensive threat. They will be motivated to add another win given they’re 9-1 in their last 10 games.
Prediction: Grizzlies def. Lakers 121-107
Lakers @ Kings (December 19; 10 PM EST)
The Lakers and Kings have had a mini-rivalry in recent seasons as the tensions between the Californian teams increased in recent seasons with the Kings’ return to prominence. Since 2022, the Kings have an 8-2 record against the Lakers, with one of the Lakers wins coming earlier this season. Another win came without Anthony Davis in the 2022-23 season led by LeBron.
The Kings haven’t looked great this season. Despite their electric offense, there have been defensive shortcomings that have hurt the team. If the Lakers can capitalize on that, they could walk out big winners. But we have to side with history for this fixture.
Prediction: Kings def. Lakers 123-113
Lakers @ Kings (December 21; 6 PM EST)
This is the second of three games against the Kings to end the year, with this also taking place in Sacramento after a one-night break. If the Kings do win the first matchup of this mini-series, we predict the Lakers to bounce back in the second game. Given the intense nature of the recent Kings-Lakers matchups, coach Redick will try to be as well-prepared as possible for the immediate rematch.
If LeBron and Davis play motivated basketball, it could be an emphatic win for the Lakers against a recent rival who they declared for decades was beneath them.
Prediction: Lakers def. Kings 128-123
Pistons @ Lakers (December 23; 10:30 PM EST)
The only matchup that can be categorized as easy in this stretch comes when the Lakers host the Pistons in their final game before Christmas. The Pistons have been rising this season and are credible threats for the Play-In tournament, but they’re still a few steps behind in their rebuilding process. If rosters stay the same, I’d wager the Lakers have a slight edge in this matchup.
The Lakers have enjoyed playing the Pistons in recent seasons, having seven straight wins over them until an upset 103-115 loss earlier this season. Hopefully, the Lakers have learned their lesson and bounced back with a vengeance against the still-developing franchise.
Prediction: Lakers def. Kings 128-123
Lakers @ Warriors (December 25; 8 PM EST)
This Christmas game will carry huge stakes this season as LeBron’s Lakers duel with Stephen Curry‘s Warriors. The Warriors have been a much better team than the Lakers this season, with coach Steve Kerr trying to make a 12-man rotation be productive for them as compared to the Lakers who barely have eight dependable players they can count on for any level of consistency.
It’s hard to rationalize the Warriors losing this, but I reckon they will due to the propensity of Lakers wins whenever these teams have a matchup with anything on the line. Outside of the three-game losing streak they’ve been on, the Lakers have bested the Warriors in the Play-In and Playoffs with these stars, so I think the Lakers can benefit from a Christmas miracle.
Prediction: Lakers def. Warriors 114-109
Kings @ Lakers (December 28; 10:30 PM EST)
This is as much a toss of a coin as the others, but the Lakers could be buoyed by their supposed win streak in this stretch to keep the good times rolling with a post-Christmas win. Or the Holiday season hangover and the positive form will get to the team as they slump to a loss. It’s 50-50, and I’d pick against the Lakers if that situation were to come up just given their inconsistencies this season.
Prediction: Kings def. Lakers 119-102
Cavaliers @ Lakers (December 31; 9 PM EST)
The Cleveland Cavaliers dusted the Lakers off in a matchup earlier this season, and it’s hard for me to predict anything else right now given what we know of the teams. A deflated Lakers squad after the supposed Kings loss could fall victim to the best team in the NBA, as the Cavaliers are designed to exploit the Lakers’ biggest weaknesses like playing on the perimeter.
Prediction: Cavaliers def. Lakers 133-112
What Will The Lakers Record Be?
The year will end with a 4-4 record for the Lakers in my estimation, which might be an optimistic outlook. In reality, there are no easy opponents in this stretch, and it’ll be the best test JJ Redick has had as a coach as this is where he proves if he deserved the most high-profile coaching position in the NBA or not.
This would likely keep the Lakers within the Play-in tournament positions to end 2024. It’s hard to say whether that’s good or bad because many expected the team to be a disaster at the start of the season before changing their tune to calling them contenders after a hot start to the season. They’ve levelled off to somewhere in the middle, which is exactly where they belong.
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