At this time last week, the Los Angeles Lakers were fighting for their playoff lives as they didn’t even know if they would manage to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Now that the 2013 NBA playoffs are officially set, the Lakers not only clinched a playoff spot, but they managed to pull the unthinkable and earn the No. 7 seed–setting them up for a first-round matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.
Obviously, there aren’t many people giving the Lakers that much of a chance in the playoffs this year considering Kobe Bryant will be sidelined as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, but the Spurs should be extra cautious about their first-round opponent. Keep in mind this is the same Los Angeles team that managed to knock off San Antonio a couple of days ago without Bryant–so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to do it again in the playoffs.
Los Angeles was considered one of the top teams in the Western Conference at the beginning of the season considering all of the hype surrounding the acquisitions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, but the team struggled to stay consistent for most of the regular season and early indications pointed that they may not even reach the playoffs.
The Spurs should be considered the favorites heading into the first round, but don’t be surprised if this Lakers team gives them trouble considering everything they had to overcome just to make the playoffs.
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