Lakers News: Bill Simmons Explains Why LA Is Still “In The Mix” For Deep Playoff Run

The Los Angeles Lakers will play for the right to be the seventh seed in the upcoming NBA playoffs. In the play-in tournament this Tuesday, the eighth-seeded Purple and Gold will play against the seventh-seeded New Orleans Pelicans to be the West's seventh seed and play the second-seeded Denver Nuggets.

Los Angeles will look for a repeat performance of last year's playoff run this season. The Lakers did the impossible last season and went to the Western Conference Finals before getting swept by the eventual league champions, the Nuggets.

It seemed like the Lakers were far from repeating that performance in the middle of the year. However, on the heels of a fantastic turnaround, they have a chance to do so again this season. It won't be easy, and if they win on Tuesday, it'll be damn near possible. That said, The Ringer's Bill Simmons can see another run in LA this postseason.

In his latest episode of his show The Bill Simmons Podcast, he said he views LA as being 'in the mix' for a deep playoff run.

"I'd kind of given up on them [Lakers] as an impactful playoff team but I think they're in the mix now. I don't think they're going to make the finals but they're in the mix."

The Lakers can definitely do so again unless they don't play Denver. The Nuggets have owned the Lakers in the past eight matchups, going 0-8 and being out-executed in the final minutes of every single one of those games. Game after game, the Nuggets let the Lakers hang around before they came in and took what LA thought was rightfully theirs.
It's the same old song and dance.

However, if the Lakers can avoid the Nuggets until the Western Conference finals or altogether, then LA can certainly make a deep playoff run. The Lakers have all the tools to be a Fioanls threat. First, they have a healthy LeBron James and a dominant Anthony Davis. Second, they have complementary pieces that can score on any given night, like D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura. These guys have shown they can create their own shot and get on hot streaks when deemed necessary. Third, they have LeBron. On any given night, James is the best player on the court, and more times than not, he is the ultimate trump card.

The Lakers will look to do the impossible again, and we'll be along for the ride, no matter how long it lasts.