What the Los Angeles Lakers need to get past the Los Angeles Clippers

1. The Clippers to be the third seed, preferably with the Rockets being the sixth

Seeding is extremely important for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Some Clipper fans have made the claim that it does not matter that the Lakers are the first seed, as a matchup between both teams would be exclusively in LA, but it absolutely does matter.

It might not make a difference in the Western Conference Finals but it is going to make a massive difference in the first two rounds. And while the Clippers will be favored in each of the first two rounds, they could potentially get a very tough road to the Western Conference Finals that could deplete the team.

First of all, the Lakers need to hope that the Clippers are the third seed. If the Denver Nuggets finish as the second-seed, which is where they are in the standings, then this gives the Clippers a very tough second round.

The Nuggets, who play in elevation, keep in mind, would have home-court advantage against a Clipper team that is only two games above .500 on the road this season. The Nuggets beat a Paul George-less Clippers in Denver earlier in the season.

That is what the Lakers need for sure. It would be an added benefit if the Rockets slipped down a spot in the standings and finished as the sixth seed, matching up in the first round against the Clippers.

I think both the Lakers and Clippers beat the Rockets in a seven-game series but because of their experience and the small-ball experiment, I think it will be a really challenging six-game series win.

If the Clippers have that and then have to go and play in Denver 3-4 times in the second round then they will be running on fumes by the time the Western Conference Finals rolls around, especially considering the team has gotten no rhythm at all this year.