To say the Los Angeles Lakers have had an inconsistent season would be an understatement. JJ Redick has shown he has the tools, but not the right players, as the Lakers have started the season 20-16. A slightly above-average record for what many consider an average team. So one could say the Lakers are overachieving this year.
But a closer look at the numbers suggests that their positive record so far is slightly inflated. If you look at the Western Conference rankings, the Lakers sit sixth in the conference with their 20-16 record. But when you look at their record against teams who are .500 or better this season, they are doing much worse.
Western Conference Standings With Record Against .500 Or Better Teams:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – 18-5 (30-6 Overall)
2. Houston Rockets – 13-8 (24-12 Overall)
3. Denver Nuggets – 11-10 (21-15 Overall)
4. Memphis Grizzlies – 10-9 (24-13 Overall)
5. Dallas Mavericks – 10-11 (21-16 Overall)
6. Golden State Warriors – 10-14 (18-18 Overall)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves – 9-12 (19-17 Overall)
8. LA Clippers – 9-13 (20-17 Overall)
9. Phoenix Suns – 9-14 (16-19 Overall)
10. Sacramento Kings – 8-14 (18-19 Overall)
11. Portland Trail Blazers – 8-14 (13-23 Overall)
12. San Antonio Spurs – 7-13 (18-19 Overall)
13. Los Angeles Lakers – 5-14 (20-16 Overall)
14. Utah Jazz – 5-16 (9-26 Overall)
15. New Orleans Pelicans – 2-24 (7-31 Overall)
This is a sobering reality check for the Lakers, as their record against .500 or better teams shows that their strong start has mostly been due to their schedule and opposition.
For the uninitiated, being .500 in the NBA means that you are even on your record. For example, if a team has 10 wins and 10 losses, it means that they are at .500. To achieve a record that is above .500, a team would have to have more wins than losses.
The Lakers’ 14 losses against .500 or above teams came as follows (in order of first loss):
1. Minnesota Timberwolves (19-17 Record) – 2 Losses (December 3rd, and December 15th)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (32-4 Record) – 2 Losses (October 30th, and January 1st)
3. Detroit Pistons (19-18 Record) – 2 Losses (November 5th, and December 24th)
4. Memphis Grizzlies (24-13 Record) – 1 Loss (November 7th)
5. Orlando Magic (22-16 Record) – 1 Loss (November 22nd)
6. Denver Nuggets (21-15 Record) – 1 Loss (November 24th)
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (30-6 Record) – 1 Loss (November 30th)
8. Miami Heat (18-17 Record) – 1 Loss (December 5th)
9. Atlanta Hawks (19-18 Record) – 1 Loss (December 7th)
9. Houston Rockets (24-12 Record) – 1 Loss (January 6th)
10. Dallas Mavericks – (21-16 Record) – 1 Loss (January 8th)
As far as the Lakers’ wins go, they came against the following teams (in order of first win):
1. Minnesota Timberwolves (19-17 Record) – 1 Win (October 23rd)
2. Memphis Grizzlies (24-13 Record) – 2 Wins (November 7th, and December 16th)
3. Golden State Warriors (18-18 Record) – 1 Win (December 25th)
4. Atlanta Hawks (19-18 Record) – 1 Win (January 4th)
Clearly, for all the bluster and positivity surrounding the Lakers’ start to the season, they have benefitted greatly from their opposition. With a record of just 5-14 against teams that are .500 or above, it shows that when faced with some true competition, the Lakers crumble.
Perhaps they can fix this by making some changes to their roster. It was reported earlier this week that the Lakers are not satisfied with their roster, and are looking to make more trades before the deadline.
But what this shows is also the fact that the Lakers can expect a much tougher road ahead. It looks like they have gotten most of their easier games out of the way, and now, the challenge for the Lakers will be to continue winning games, despite facing tougher teams from now till the end of the season.
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