It’s not just the record or the top-player absences that should have the Lakers feeling good about where they are this season. They are one of 10 teams to win at least 60 percent of their games entering the break — equivalent to a 50-win season over 82 games. Yet, the Lakers have been outscored by one point this season entering the All-Star break. How rare is it to enter the All-Star break with such a great record but a negative point differential? In the 30 seasons of the play-by-play era, excluding the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season that saw All-Star Weekend cancelled, 245 teams have reached the break with a win percentage of .600 or better. The Lakers just became the third of those teams to have a negative point differential despite winning at least 60 percent of their games entering the All-Star break.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: It’s not just the record or the top-player absences …
