Chicago Bulls: Windy City determines LeBron James, Lakers playoff fate?

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 06: Los Angeles Lakers Forward LeBron James (23) during the Denver Nuggets game versus the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, 2019, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Icon Sportswire)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 06: Los Angeles Lakers Forward LeBron James (23) during the Denver Nuggets game versus the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, 2019, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Icon Sportswire) /
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Two rather disappointing teams this season are set to meet up in the Windy City on March 12, as the Chicago Bulls look to knock off the Lakers.

What lies ahead for the Chicago Bulls on March 12 is a battle with the Los Angeles Lakers and superstar forward LeBron James for supremacy among cross conference big market franchises each facing disappointing results out of the 2018-19 regular season. LeBron and the Lakers are drowning in the Western Conference standings and are on the last leg in terms of the chances of making it into the postseason field.

A clash between two of the most recognizable and biggest brands in the NBA now should bring plenty of intrigue to the United Center on March 12. As a slight one-point favorite, the Los Angeles Lakers hold an interesting edge over the Chicago Bulls for a key showdown in the Windy City.

At this point of the regular season, the Chicago Bulls are completely out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. A successful end to the regular season entails this young core of promising players getting some form of momentum heading into the summer.

There isn’t much more that Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen can do to get this group going by all considerations. For the amount of coaching staff turnover and uncertainty this franchise saw in recent years, Boylen just needs to provide some level of consistency for this inexperienced group in the locker room.

Stability and growth are the name of the game in the Windy City right now. Quite the opposite could be said for “The King” along with the Lakers in his first season in Los Angeles. To say things aren’t going as planned for LeBron and his sub par supporting cast with the Lakers is a massive understatement.

The Lakers sit a whopping seven games out of a playoff spot in the West right now, behind the Utah Jazz. The two teams that are even ahead of the Lakers trying to chase down the Jazz are the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Amid all the Deadline drama for the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans that led to the firing of former general manager Dell Demps, both teams sit nearly in the same spot in the standings. The Pelicans and Lakers both are well out of a playoff spot and look due for a ton of roster changes and possibly even coaching staff shifts this summer.

What’s on the line for the Chicago Bulls here is the opportunity to prove a point against one of the league’s best superstars still in LeBron. Bouncing back from two disappointing losses to the Detroit Pistons this past weekend is also big for the Bulls. Power forward Lauri Markkanen and small forward Otto Porter Jr. need to continue down the path of consistency and progression.

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However, what’s on the line for the Lakers is much more dire than the Bulls. It would be considered a complete disaster if this team doesn’t make it into the playoffs, despite the tough road that is making a run in the West. With point guard Lonzo Ball and standout forward Brandon Ingram shut down for the rest of the season, the Bulls can pull off the upset in what should be considered a must-win game for the Lakers.