Over the last several seasons, eighth place in the West has had no fewer than 46 wins. But with how much the West is beating up on the East, you will probably need at least 48 to make the postseason. To get to 48 wins, the Lakers will have to go 37-20 (.649) over their final 57 games.

That doesn't sound so impossible, but it will take more than just offensive improvement. The Lakers' defense has allowed 105 points per 100 possessions in 15 games under Mike D'Antoni, which will not get it done.

Even if you assume that the defense will come around, there's pretty much no chance that the Lakers can catch any of the top four teams in the West. The fourth-place Grizzlies are on a 59-win pace, and even if you shave a few wins off that, the Lakers would have to go 45-12 to win 56 games total.

Either way, it's going to be fascinating to see what the Lakers can do once Steve Nash and Pau Gasol are healthy ... or once they make a trade (NBA.com)