Lakers will be a 4-seed or 5-seed that that Utah Jazz or Phoenix Suns will not want to play

With 14 games remaining on their schedule, it seems like a stretch that the Lakers could jump all the way back to the 3-seed in the Western Conference, which is currently held by the Los Angeles Clippers, who are five games up on the Lakers in the West, but jumping back up to the 4-seed is definitely a possibility. 

Whether they are a 4-seed or 5-seed, the Lakers would have to play the 1-seed in the Western Conference, assuming they win their first series, in the Western Conference Semifinals, which would likely be the Utah Jazz or Phoenix Suns, as Utah leads the Suns by 1.5 games for the best record in the West. 

Both the Jazz and Suns are confident that this is their year and that they can win a championship, but man, playing the defending champions in the second-round would sure be tough.

Assuming both Anthony Davis and LeBron James are healthy for the second-round of the playoffs, even if the Suns or Jazz do wind up beating the Lakers in that series, it will take a lot out of them in a series that will probably go 6 or 7 games. 

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Davis returning definitely affects the Western Conference playoff picture because of how it is going to affect all of the matchups. Roster wise, the Lakers could have been the #1 overall team in the NBA this season if they did not have to deal with injuries to their two best players, so seeing them as a 4-seed or 5-seed in the Western Conference is definitely going to be concerning for the top-seeds in the West.