The Los Angeles Lakers are well into the home stretch of the 2024-25 NBA regular season campaign as LeBron James, Luka Doncic and company look to secure the most favorable seed possible in the always competitive Western Conference playoff race.
With four regular season games remaining, Los Angeles largely controls its own destiny as the Lakers will only need to win two of their final four matchups to secure the No. 3 seed in the West. However, if Los Angeles stumbled down the stretch, the possibility is there for the Lakers to fall as far as the No. 8 seed, which makes their potential postseason opponents as up in the air as anyone's right now.
While this scenario can certainly play out a number of different ways, the threat level from the teams currently lumped together with Los Angeles in the standings could provide some very intriguing opening-round matchups. From the easiest matchup to the most difficult, here are the possible playoff opponents for the Purple and Gold.
1. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies stunned the sports world when they fired Taylor Jenkins just weeks before the end of the regular season despite the fact that Memphis had, largely, played very solid basketball under his watch. With this team seemingly setting its sights on next season and life after Jenkins it is hard to envision them being much of a factor in a series against the Lakers.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a bonafide star on their hands in Anthony Edwards, making them a threat to Los Angeles or any other team in the first round. With that being said, Edwards has shown that immaturity can still be an issue at times, as his quote on not wanting to pass the ball all night long despite the fact he is facing double teams more frequently is enough to raise an eyebrow or two when it comes to their chances of knocking off the Lakers.
3. Los Angeles Clippers
If we were to see a Battle of Los Angeles in the first round, the Lakers better hope they own home court advantage in that matchup. The Clippers have been fantastic all year long at their new state-of-the-art arena, owning a record of 28-11 at the Intuit Dome. However, things change when they take their show on the road as James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and company are a less impressive 18-21 away from home. In a matchup that wouldn't be hurting for star power, home court advantage could be the difference.
4. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have looked like a different team since acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline and they appear to be hitting their stride at the right time as our focus shifts to the chase for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The Warriors are a stellar 18-4 across 22 games in which Butler, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have suited up. Facing a hot team with the greatest shooter of all-time is a scenario that the Lakers would likely hope to avoid in the first round.
5. Denver Nuggets
When you have Nikola Jokic on the opposing roster, the odds of advancing out of a seven-game series become slightly more difficult. While the Nuggets were not as dominant throughout the regular season as we have seen in recent years, this is a battle tested group that will be ready for whoever they face to open the playoffs. Add the fact that they play at a higher elevation than any other team in the league and their home court advantage is as tough as they come.