They played horrible against the Wolves, but the Mavs are playing worse. On top of that, Marion didn't return from a undisclosed wrist injury in the second half vs the Spurs, so if he's out for a while...well...ouch. On top of that, Chandler hasn't been right since he came back from his ankle injury. Not playing with that energy I'm used to seeing him play with.
Lakers have only lost one game since the break, and they have beaten plenty of .500+ teams. This includes Portland, Dallas, Spurs, Orlando, and ATL. Plus, Kobe is hurting bad right now, and I want him to sit, but I still feel they need the second seed. It's a tough spot, but I think Kobe needs to play more facilitator than scorer. LA will be in the WCF for sure.
With all that being said...last year's Laker's team finished a pathetic 13-7, and still won the title. Boston played .500 ball I believe and made it to the Finals. I mean, it's just a good sign more than anything else, especially since it's coming from the champions.