NBA Standings 2023: Warriors, Lakers Not In Playoff Picture With Most Of Season Complete
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are still out of the 2023 NBA playoff picture after winning games Wednesday night. The two teams have plenty of time to climb up the standings, though nearly 60% of the regular season is already finished.
If the season ended Thursday, the Warriors would have to go 2-0 in the play-in tournament in order to secure a spot in the playoff picture. The Lakers would be out of playoffs altogether and eliminated from contention.
The Western Conference standings are tightly packed. The Warriors are the No. 9 seed and just a half-game behind the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 6 seed and the last spot in the playoff picture. The Lakers are currently the No. 13 seed and one game behind the Utah Jazz for the final play-in tournament spot.
One factor for each team could ultimately decide their playoff fates. The Warriors have to play much better on the road in order to make the postseason. For the Lakers, the health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis might determine their playoff hopes.
Golden State defeated the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies 122-120 Wednesday night. The victory came at Chase Center, where the defending champs are 18-6. Only the Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets, the top two seeds in the West, have a better home record within the conference than the Warriors.
A 6-18 road record has kept the Warriors from moving beyond the play-in tournament. Stephen Curry has been equally as spectacular both at home and away from Golden State. Klay Thompson's scoring average goes from 23.2 points per game at home to 17.9 points per game on the road. Andrew Wiggins is averaging 19.0 points at home and 15.9 points on the road.
The biggest difference is on the defensive end. Golden State is only giving up 108.5 points per 100 possessions at home, good for fourth in the league. Away from the Bay Area, the Warriors' 118.3 defensive rating is the league's third-worst.
When Davis is on the court, the Lakers have a 111.5 defensive rating, which would rank eighth for the entire season. Davis had 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in just 26 minutes in his first game in six weeks, helping the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 113-104 on Wednesday.
Davis last played more than 40 games in the 2019-2020 season, during which Los Angeles went on to win the title. The Lakers need the big man to stay on the court in order to reach the playoffs.
James is going to be a deserving All-Star starter, once again. The 38-year-old is averaging 29.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 39 of the Lakers' 49 games.
After acquiring Rui Hachimura, the Lakers could potentially make another deal before the 2023 trade deadline.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.