Every team in the NBA tends to have a brutal stretch of games at some point during the season and for the Los Angeles Lakers, it is from Feb. 22 to Mar. 19 in the 2024-25 campaign. In that short time, they’ll be playing 12 games against some of the top teams in the league.
February 22: Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets (Real Contender)
February 25: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks (Real Contender)
February 27: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Real Contender)
February 28: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers (Real Contender)
March 2: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers (Real Contender)
March 4: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans (Not Real Contender)
March 6: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks (Real Contender)
March 8: Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics (Real Contender)
March 10: Los Angeles Lakers @ Brooklyn Nets (Not Real Contender)
March 13: Los Angeles Lakers @ Milwaukee Bucks (Real Contender)
March 14: Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets (Real Contender)
March 16: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns (Real Contender)
March 18: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Real Contender)
March 19: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets (Real Contender)
Now, you can argue that the Los Angeles Clippers aren’t a contender and the New Orleans Pelicans are and whatnot, but the fact is that it’s a ridiculously tough schedule. Let’s dive a bit deeper into it.
This stretch for the Lakers starts with a game against the Denver Nuggets, who are very much their nemesis, at this point. They are 1-12 in their last 13 games in the regular season and playoffs against the Nuggets and have lost eight in a row in Denver. Think it’s safe to say, they’re unlikely to get off to a winning start here.
Next, they take on the Dallas Mavericks, the reigning Western Conference champions. The Mavericks have also added Klay Thompson to their ranks and are expected to be one of the top teams in the West.
After the Mavericks, the Lakers take on the team that the Mavericks beat in the 2024 Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves won the season series between the teams 3-1 in 2023-24 and I think they’ll give the Lakers plenty of trouble this time around as well.
The Lakers then get to play the Clippers twice and I don’t think anyone is quite sure how good they’re going to be next season. Paul George’s departure was a big blow and you wonder if James Harden can step up and fill that void.
If Harden does and if Kawhi Leonard stays healthy, I think the Clippers will have a good season. They have a solid supporting cast around the two stars and one of the best head coaches in the NBA, Tyronn Lue. He has given the Lakers plenty of headaches over the years and could well do so again.
After those two rivalry games, the Lakers take on the Pelicans, who are not expected to be contenders. They might make some noise if they are able to get a great haul in return for Brandon Ingram, but I just don’t see it happening. This is certainly one of the easier games in this stretch.
There is nothing easy about the next two games, though, as the Lakers take on the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks on the road. They were the top two seeds in the East last season and it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case in 2023-24 as well. It’s hard to see the Lakers winning either of these two road games.
They get some relief afterward when they take on the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, but what comes after that is one of the most brutal stretches I can remember for a team. The Lakers play five games in seven days, with two Denver Nuggets-Milwaukee Bucks back-to-backs.
There is a game against the Phoenix Suns sandwiched in between them, which means it’s five games in seven days. Even teams like the Celtics would struggle in that stretch, let alone the Lakers.
I think a realistic best-case scenario for the Lakers during this 14-game stretch would be going 7-7. There are two very winnable games on paper in there and they’re a good enough team to win some of the rest as well.
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