NBA Insider Says Lakers Must Avoid West Rival 'At All Costs' in Postseason

A loss for the Los Angeles Lakers against the inconsistent Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night would have a major ripple effect on the Western Conference standings: it would give the Oklahoma City Thunder the No. 1 seed in the West.

The @okcthunder can clinch the No. 1 playoff seed in the Western Conference tonight. pic.twitter.com/Lg6oeZtTys
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 20, 2025

Sporting a 57-12 record, the Thunder are 12.5 games clear of the 45-25 Houston Rockets and 13.5 games ahead of the 43-25 Lakers and 44-26 Denver Nuggets in the West. Barring an insane losing streak, Oklahoma City seems all but assured to secure the top seed sooner rather than later, so a Lakers victory against the Bucks would likely only prolong the inevitable.

Should L.A., currently the No. 3 seed in the West, strive to strategically secure its spot in the standings to avoid certain playoff matchups? And if so, which matchups should it avoid?

Former Duke star and Chicago Bulls lottery pick Jay Williams, now an ESPN personality, explained how he would approach the Lakers' final 14 contests of the regular season — and which teams he would try his darnedest to steer clear of in the playoffs for as long as he could.

"I am avoiding OKC at all costs until we get to the Western Conference finals. ... I'm trying to avoid [Denver] too." 😯

—@RealJayWilliams on why the Lakers should go for the No. 2 seed in the West 👀 pic.twitter.com/AA21ZhoXzc
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 20, 2025

"All you can do is control the 'controllables,'" Williams said. "And what's uncontrollable right now is the way all these seeding things are going to play out over the next 14 games. I don't know. But I do know if I'm the Lakers, I'm chasing that two seed. I am avoiding OKC at all costs until we get to the Western Conference Finals. I'm also, depending upon where Denver is, I'm trying to avoid them, too."

If the playoffs began today, the No. 3-seeded Lakers would play the No. 6-seeded Golden State Warriors (40-29), who have looked virtually unbeatable with new addition Jimmy Butler in the lineup — aside from a bad loss to a Denver Nuggets team without stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, which exposed the Warriors' biggest weakness: defending size.

"So by securing a two seed, getting that homecourt [advantage], I think it's not just homecourt, it's the two seed and homecourt," Williams said. "To me, that gives me the best shot of getting to the NBA Finals. 'Cause I'm not trying to play OKC. And actually, even though I know they beat Denver when the Joker and Jamal Murray were playing, I would try to stay away from that, I would rather have those two teams play and we meet in the Western Conference Finals. That's how I would go about it."

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The No. 2-seeded Rockets and the No. 8-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves are separated by just 5.5 games. Should 21-time All-Star power forward LeBron James or starting small forward Rui Hachimura be out for an extended time, it's possible that L.A. could slip much further than it would want to.

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Thursday's action tips off in Crypto.com Arena, where the Lakers are 28-7 this season, at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Bucks, losers of two straight, are just 14-18 on the road. It will be broadcast locally on Spectrum SportsNet and streamed on Spectrum SportsNet+.

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For the latest Los Angeles Lakers news and notes, stay glued to Los Angeles Lakers On SI.