2025-11-15 13:00
As I sip my morning coffee and scroll through the latest NBA standings, one question keeps nagging at me: where do the Lakers stand in the NBA rankings this season? It's a question that's been on every basketball fan's mind, especially those of us who've followed this franchise through its glorious highs and frustrating lows. Currently sitting at around 7th in the Western Conference with a 15-9 record as of this writing, the Purple and Gold find themselves in that awkward middle ground - good enough to make the play-in tournament, but far from the championship contenders they aspire to be.
I've been watching this team closely since opening night, and what strikes me most is how different this season feels compared to last year's miraculous mid-season turnaround. Remember when they were 2-10 at one point last November? This time around, they've been consistently inconsistent - capable of beating the Celtics in Boston one night, then losing to the Spurs at home the next. Anthony Davis has been absolutely dominant when healthy, averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds, while LeBron James continues to defy Father Time with his 24-7-7 stat line. But the supporting cast has been hit-or-miss, and frankly, I'm not convinced their current roster construction can survive a seven-game series against Denver or Phoenix.
The coaching situation particularly fascinates me, especially when I think about coaching stability in professional sports. It reminds me of what happened with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the PVL back in 2023. Now I know volleyball and basketball are different sports, but hear me out - when Dante Alinsunurin took over as head coach of that fan-favorite team, he led them to two finals appearances in just over a year at the helm. That kind of coaching impact makes you wonder about Darvin Ham's situation with the Lakers. Is he getting the most out of this roster? The defensive schemes have been questionable at times, and I've noticed several late-game situations where the team looked unprepared. Coaching matters, perhaps more than we often acknowledge in basketball discussions.
What really worries me as a longtime Lakers observer is their performance against top-tier teams. They're 3-6 against current top-four seeds in either conference, and their net rating of +1.2 places them squarely in the middle of the pack. I was at their Christmas Day game against the Celtics, and while they pulled off the upset, the victory felt more like an outlier than a turning point. The offense often devolves into "your turn, my turn" basketball between LeBron and AD, with minimal ball movement and too many isolation plays. They rank 20th in assists per game at 25.8 - for a team with two elite passers in LeBron and D'Angelo Russell, that's simply unacceptable.
The Western Conference landscape makes their position even more precarious. Minnesota and Oklahoma City look legit, Denver remains the defending champions, and teams like Sacramento and Dallas have improved. The Lakers' margin for error is shrinking by the week. I've crunched some numbers, and based on current winning percentages, they'll likely need at least 48 wins to secure a top-six spot and avoid the play-in tournament madness. That means going 33-25 the rest of the way - definitely achievable, but requiring a level of consistency we haven't seen from them yet.
Their upcoming schedule presents both challenge and opportunity. A five-game road trip in early January against Eastern Conference opponents could either build momentum or expose their vulnerabilities. Then comes the trade deadline in February, which always brings speculation about potential moves. Personally, I think they need another reliable two-way wing player - someone who can defend multiple positions and knock down open threes. Their three-point shooting at 35.4% ranks 25th in the league, and in today's NBA, that's practically basketball malpractice.
When we step back and ask where do the Lakers stand in the NBA rankings this season, the honest answer is they're at a crossroads. They have the talent to compete with anyone on any given night, but lack the day-to-day reliability of true contenders. The organization faces difficult decisions about whether to mortgage future assets for short-term upgrades or ride with the current group. Having watched this franchise win 17 championships, I know the standard here is different. Mediocrity isn't tolerated, and right now, they're flirting with it. The next two months will determine whether this becomes another disappointing season or the beginning of another magical run. One thing's for certain - in Lakers land, the drama never stops.
