Lakers: "LeBron James gonna be 50 years old after this games" - NBA fans abuzz as Lakers face daunting schedule ahead of Playoffs

"LeBron James gonna be 50 years old after this games" - NBA fans abuzz as Lakers face daunting schedule ahead of Playoffs

New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Lakers - Source: Getty — "LeBron James gonna be 50 years old after this games" - NBA fans abuzz as Lakers face daunting schedule ahead of Playoffs - Source: Getty

LeBron James and his Lakers sit third in the Western Conference with just five games to go in the NBA regular season. Under normal circumstances, the above statement would suggest that the team is set to carry home-court advantage into the Playoffs. However, nothing appears normal in the Western Conference in 2024-25 and the Lakers's remaining schedule has fans tensed.

LA (47-30) are separated from the 8th-seeded Memphis Grizzlies by just two wins. And what's worse? Three of their last five games of the season have the Lakers pitted against the two teams ahead of them in the West - the Thunder and the Rockets.

Facing the Thunder twice at Oklahoma, where the team has a 34-5 record for the entire season, is as tough an ask as it gets in the NBA. To top that off, a matchup against the rough-and-tumble Houston Rockets and a desperate Mavericks reads trouble for the Purple and Gold.

The fan reactions ahead of Sunday represent panic and excitement as a daunting run-in awaits LeBron James and Co.

Other fans reacted with concern, noting that poor results could easily send the team back to the Play-in spots — the worst-case outcome for the team under the circumstances.

2024-25 has been an eventful season for the franchise and marked the beginning of the Luka Doncic era in LA. However, with much still to be written for the rest of the season, what version of the team can we expect?

The Lakers remaining schedule ranks as the toughest in the NBA for the entire league

Per Tankathon, JJ Redick's team has the toughest remaining schedule among all teams in the league. Given the extremely high stakes, it could be one of the most interesting run-ins in league history.

The teams trailing LeBron James and Co. for the top 8 seeds in the West - fighting to avoid the Play-in spots - are the Denver Nuggets, the Golden State Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Memphis Grizzlies. Out of the lot, only the Nuggets find themselves among teams in the top 10 of remaining fixture difficulty.

On the other hand, Tankathon has the Timberwolves 26th in their table, charting them to have the easiest run-in among the teams vying to avoid the Play-in in the West. The Grizzlies and the Warriors also have favorable draws compared to the Lakers and the Nuggets.

Will we see a significant shake-up in the Western Conference standings as the season draws close?

About the author

Achyuth Jayagopal is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience in the field with The Sports Rush and Sportskeeda. He is also a qualified lawyer and is pursuing a Master's degree in Sports Business and Management.

Achyuth's favorite team is the Milwaukee Bucks. One of the reasons Achyuth started following basketball was the story of Giannis Antetokounmpo, as his journey is extremely inspiring. Achyuth has been rooting for Giannis and the Bucks ever since.

When not writing or watching basketball, Achyuth is mostly focused on his coursework. That said, in his downtime, Achyuth plays a lot of sports games, watches movies and appreciates traveling. He also enjoys cooking and replicates his favorite dishes when he is away from home.

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