"Wherever we got to go": LeBron James sounds uber-confident despite seeding conundrum in playoffs
LeBron James isn't concerned about the Western Conference playoffs picture and the Lakers having to settle for a lower seeding again. Despite being 11 games over .500, LA is ninth in the standings and likely to secure the seventh or the eighth seed, should it win in the play-in tournament.
The Lakers could face favored contenders like the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and OKC Thunder in the first round as the road team. However, James is unfazed by that challenge.
"Wherever we fall is where we fall, and wherever we got to go, if we have to go on the road, that’s fine. That’s fine," James said about the Lakers' playoffs hopes (3:23).
As things stand, the Lakers will have to play and win consecutive knockout games, one at home and one on the road, to secure a playoff spot. They will make it to the postseason as the eighth seed. The Timberwolves hold the top spot in the West, so that's who the Lakers will likely face as an eighth seed.
However, the race up top is between three teams, including the Denver Nuggets and the OKC Thunder, with both teams having a legitimate shot at securing the #1 seed, too.
LeBron James and Lakers are in playoffs form already
LeBron James and the Lakers flirted with dropping into the lottery a few weeks ago as the 10th seed. However, they have been firing on all cylinders lately, winning eight of their last 10 and eight of their past nine games. The Lakers are coming off a 5-1 road stretch.
LA has improved to 44-33 on the season. It's one game away from the seventh and eighth seeds and two behind the sixth seed. With only six games left, the Lakers must ensure to keep their winning run intact while hoping that the teams above them drop a few games to climb up the standings.
Finishing sixth guarantees a playoff spot, while seventh or eighth place gives the Lakers a second chance in the play-in tournament if they lose the seventh-eighth seed game. The Lakers have been in that situation twice, in 2021 and 2023, winning both times and securing the seventh seed.
LeBron James and Co. went on to make a conference finals appearance as a seventh seed last year, so they seem comfortable with an unfavorable seeding. James and Anthony Davis have been suited to play postseason basketball, with slowed-down possessions and extra physicality, which sets the duo apart from the rest of their counterparts.