Fansided

NBA Schedule 2016-17: 5 toughest schedules

By John Buhler

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 08: Brook Lopez #11 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Denver Nuggets at the Barclays Center on February 8, 2016 in Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Nets defeated the Nuggets 105-104. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 08: Brook Lopez #11 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Denver Nuggets at the Barclays Center on February 8, 2016 in Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Nets defeated the Nuggets 105-104. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 30: D'Angelo Russell
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 30: D’Angelo Russell /

. West. Pacific. Los Angeles Lakers. 3. player. 20

The Kobe Bryant era is over with the Los Angeles Lakers. Enter the Luke Walton era in Los Angeles for the 2016-17 Lakers. He might be a beloved figure in Lakers lore, but the former top assistant for the Golden State Warriors will have so much work to do to turn around what was the worst team in the Western Conference last season.

Walton did land No. 2 overall pick in small forward Brandon Ingram of Duke University in the 2016 NBA Draft. He’ll score as a rookie, but Walton’s roster is chock full of a bunch of youngsters that don’t know how to win in a brutal Western Conference.

Yes, both the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings aren’t going to be playoff caliber teams either in the Lakers’ Pacific Division, but the Golden State Warriors feel like a lock to be No. 1 in the West and the Los Angeles Clippers are good enough to earn a top three seed in their own right.

Out of the Northwest Division, the Lakers will draw the Oklahoma City Thunder three times and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Utah Jazz four times. Outside of the Denver Nuggets, every team in the Northwest Division has a realistic shot at a 2017 playoff berth.

The Southwest Division featured four playoff teams in 2016. Los Angeles will play the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies three times, while the Lakers will get the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs four times. If the New Orleans Pelicans are better with a healthy Anthony Davis, it won’t be easy for the Lakers to win 10 more games and get to 27 wins in 2016-17.

Next: 2. Sacramento Kings.

Home/NBA