Reacts: Lakers among favorites to take part in play-in game

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Los Angeles Lakers fans and fans across the country.
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After spending much of the first 50 games toiling away below mediocrity this season, the Lakers have turned things around after the trade deadline to get themselves back in the playoff picture. It’s a testament to how much more positive things have gotten in recent weeks that the team could so drastically turn things around...and a testament to how bad the Western Conference is.

The Lakers have gone from the outside looking in to in the thick of the play-in race. This week’s DraftKings Reacts survey asked all NBA fans who they felt were the four most likely teams in each conference to take part in the play-in game.

Not only were the Lakers included among the four teams, they were the second-most-common selection. The Timberwolves were in first with 58% of fans expecting them in the play-in game while the Lakers came next at 55%.

The four teams selected actually were pretty clearly the top four with the Clippers receiving 54% of the vote and the Pelicans 51%. The Blazers (41%), Mavericks (37%), Warriors (37%), Thunder (31%) and Jazz (28%) were the only teams included in the poll.

Not only is it interesting now that the Lakers are considered one of the more likely teams to take part, they’re seen as clearly one of the four most likeliest options.

You could spin this as a negative as fans don’t expect that Lakers to move out of the play-in positions, but given how bleak things looked at times this year, let’s take the positives where we can find them right now.

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