Today we need:
Nets to beat warriors
nuggets to beat Lakers
Bulls to beat suns (a wash either way, no confidence bulls will add up wins but you never know )
Wolves to beat pistons (give us larger margin from 1 to 2 seed)
Heat to beat pacers (so they don't fall behind Lakers in win count, wash either way)
Firstly, posts like this are probably best for the Lakers watch thread.
Secondly, I’d prefer Phoenix over Chicago. The Bulls are terrible and want to get that high pick this year. The Lakers are not finishing below Chicago. Phoenix has had a bottom 4 record two years running, and might want to pretend for some portion of the year that they’re not terrible. It’s possible (although not probable) that the Lakers finish beneath them. Wins over Chicago will he’ll that cause.
Remember, the big drop off between odds is from 4th place to 5th (from 70.9% that we get the pick to 46.5%). We want the Lakers to have a bottom 4 record to have a better than even chance to get the pick. So it’s best if 2-3 teams on the bottom prop up the record of the next tier of bad teams (so Chicago, Dallas, and Sacramento lose to Phoenix and Atlanta), while of course beating the Lakers when they play.