With only eight games remaining, looking too far ahead may not appear to be a possibility for the Los Angeles Lakers, but it is. For the moment, it is worthwhile to focus on the upcoming week (or take a look at all eight games).
The Los Angeles Lakers practiced on Monday in preparation of a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. That game has serious playoff implications for both teams, and it should provide some insight into what the Lakers’ real intentions are over the next couple weeks.
Tuesday date with Dallas also includes a halftime ceremony to retire Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey. That means all of Hollywood should be in attendance—even more of Hollywood than usual. Shaq was a larger-than-life figure, and he still garners special appreciation amongst Laker fans.
At Shaq's appearance at Staples Center earlier this season, Will Farrell was pretending to be a security guard and escorted the big fella out of the arena.
Since they do not play their next game until Friday, the Lakers will likely take the day off on Wednesday. With Nash not likely to play on Tuesday, the scattered schedule may allow the 39-year-old an opportunity to contribute by the weekend.
Thursday should involve a hard practice with an important game against the Memphis Grizzlies coming up on Friday. The Lakers have lost both previous meetings against the Grizzlies this season, and they cannot back their way into the playoffs at this point. As a reminder, the Lakers are not in the playoffs if the season ends today.
Then, the Lakers act as visitors against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The battle for LA has been one-sided this year, and the Lakers are 0-3 against their Staples Center co-tenants.
With regards to travel and scheduling, the Lakers actually have an abnormally easy schedule. With regards to opponents, the Lakers have as difficult a set of games as they’ve had all year.
