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Los Angeles Lakers: Why LA shouldn’t worry about missing the playoffs

By Jason Reed

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - FEBRUARY 07: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on before the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 07, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - FEBRUARY 07: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on before the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 07, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. LeBron James typically ends the year strong

The Los Angeles Lakers might have a losing record heading into the break but the team has a winning record with LeBron on the court. Los Angeles is 22-17 with LeBron on the court, 6-12 when he does not play and would be 32-25 if James played every game and the trends remained the same.

That is still a relatively low winning percentage for a LeBron James team but it would put the Lakers at the sixth seed in the West.

The thing to keep in mind, though, is that James typically finishes the year strong and his team’s record indicates that. While this Lakers team is unlike any team he has ever played on, the trends indicate that the Lakers will finish the year off great.

In the months of March and April (it was hard to do February as there was no post-All-Star-Break filter) LeBron has a career record of 219-126. That is a 63.8 winning percentage and would amount to a 52-32 record across an entire season.

If you count February, which we are in this case, that means the Lakers will go 16-9 after the break. That will lead to a 44-38 record. Last season that would have missed the postseason, however, the current eighth seed is also on pace to win 44 games.

It should be interesting but the trends indicate that at worst the Lakers will win 44 games this season.

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