Lakers Eliminated from Playoff Contention at Earliest Point Since Move to L.A.

The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday, even before their game against the Detroit Pistons had ended.

SportsCenter reported the news and added the historical significance of the team's depths of despair experienced this season:

It's not as though anyone in Laker land was holding out hope for the postseason in the stacked Western Conference. However, this is just a grim reminder of where the proud L.A. franchise is.

Zach Harper of CBSSports.com reacted to the news, suggesting the official elimination was a mere formality:

Even with a former Laker in Byron Scott as head coach, the squad has had an abysmal 2014-15 campaign. Part of that is attributable to injuries, as rookie first-round pick Julius Randle suffered a fractured tibia in the opener, and legendary guard Kobe Bryant was shut down with a torn right rotator cuff.

First-year point guard Jordan Clarkson had a recent, encouraging update on his draft classmate:

Bryant's exorbitant salary has been an impediment for L.A. to add decent complementary pieces to the roster. That has also factored into the poor record the Lakers have posted, as they've played in the more difficult NBA conference with a dearth of star power.

The Lakers can take solace in the fact that expectations were lowered, especially when Bryant was seriously hurt. A lottery draft pick looms for L.A. to add another big piece to the puzzle, and Bryant ought to be able to contribute in 2015-16 so he can get the end of his career going in a more positive direction.

Clarkson has played quite well as a pleasant surprise, scoring in double figures in nine of 19 previous games entering Tuesday.

That's the type of return L.A. needs on rather modest investments to get back into the competitive echelon of the West. This season has been evidence of how far the Lakers have deviated from such status.