The Lakers recently lost to a lottery-bound Portland Trailblazers team and I suddenly realized a scary trend the Lakers could follow-- the Lakers could be stumbling into the playoffs and it could cost them more than seeding issues.The tight Western Conference playoff race has been analyzed by NBA pundits over and over and for a good reason. The Lakers at number #3 is just a full game away from being the #6 seed and that could mean losing home court advantage and facing the tough Utah Jazz or the more manageable Houston Rockets in the first round. The NBA would not be able to resist a Los Angeles Lakers - Phoenix Suns match up.
One other thing, a weak finish in the season could cost Kobe Bryant MVP votes. Current favorites include Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics. These players have been building their respective cases for the MVP plum.
So the last few games should be very crucial for the Lakers on the team and individual levels.
Tags: Lakers
