Lakers project to finish outside of top eight in west -- again

The Lakers finished the 2013-14 season in 14th place in the Western Conference, with a 27-55 record -- a franchise worst since moving to Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant played in just six games with knee and Achilles injuries. He’s healthy heading into the 2014-15 season, which kicks off Tuesday at Staples Center against the Houston Rockets.

Pau Gasol has departed for the Chicago Bulls. Steve Nash (back) is out for the season. Nick Young is expected to miss 15 to 20 games with a thumb injury.

Can the Lakers climb to the top eight in the west, to earn a spot in the playoffs?

1 -- San Antonio Spurs (56-61 wins): The Spurs are the defending champions. While Coach Gregg Popovich likes to rest stars like Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili for the playoffs, the team seems to win nightly regardless.

2 -- Clippers (55-60): The Clippers have a year together under Coach Doc Rivers with the same primary core of players. The team needs to take the next step in the playoffs -- a trip to at least the Western Conference Finals. Spencer Hawes is a key addition, along with former Lakers guard Jordan Farmar.

3 -- Golden State Warriors (55-60): The Warriors will challenge the Clippers in the standings behind the Spurs. Coach Steve Kerr was brought to help the team’s offense improve, which shouldn’t be too difficult with shooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

4 -- Portland Trail Blazers (50-55): The Trail Blazers were a surprise last season, winning 54 games despite a thin bench. Former Lakers Chris Kaman and Steve Blake should help the team compete for home-court advantage in the conference.

5 -- Memphis Grizzlies (50-55): The Grizzlies struggled with injuries last season, notably to Marc Gasol -- but still won 50 games. Memphis is a tough, gritty squad. They’ll continue to play some of the best defense in the league, at a relatively slow offensive pace.

6 -- Houston Rockets (48-53): Houston will miss small forward Chandler Parsons -- along with bench players Jeremy Lin (now with the Lakers) and Omer Asik. The pairing of Dwight Howard and James Harden will carry the Rockets through a number of games, but they won’t win as many as last season (54).

7 -- Oklahoma City Thunder (48-53): The Thunder could drop even further, depending on Kevin Durant’s timeline after foot surgery. The team is dealing with a number of injuries heading into the season -- but playing with Durant for a long stretch will be difficult. Durant kept the team winning when Russell Westbrook was out last year with a knee injury. Can Westbrook do the same without Durant?

8 -- Dallas Mavericks (48-53): Dallas brought center Tyson Chandler while adding Chandler Parsons. If one team in the top eight that jumps significantly this season, it’s the Mavericks.

9 -- Phoenix Suns (43-48): The Suns will be in nearly every game they play. Last season Phoenix projected to be one of the bottom teams in the west, but the franchise missed the playoffs by a game or two. If any of the teams ahead of the Suns struggles, or faces a significant injury, expect Phoenix to take their place with a postseason berth.

10 -- Denver Nuggets (39-44): While the Lakers had more injuries than any team in the league last year, the Nuggets were also decimated. With a healthy roster, Denver could make a playoff push.

11 -- New Orleans Pelicans (38-43): Anthony Davis is one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. The Pelicans struggle with depth issues, but they have tremendous potential this season -- especially defensively with Davis paired with former Rockets center Asik.

12 -- Lakers (33-38): The Lakers get Bryant back, which will immediately make the team more competitive than last year’s fiasco. Already the team has struggled to stay healthy. The Lakers need a lot to go right to hit .500, let alone 38 wins. Best guess -- the Lakers win 36 games this season, missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

13 -- Utah Jazz (29-34): The Jazz will be better than last year’s 25-win squad. Derrick Favors is primed for a breakout season. Utah is young, but improving. They’ll be a difficult to beat on many nights.

14 -- Sacramento Kings (27-32): The Kings need big years from DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. Gone is high-scoring guard Isaiah Thomas, with former Clippers point Darren Collison in his place. Sacramento may be better than 14th in the west but to climb, they’ll need to improve defensively

15 -- Minnesota Timberwolves (22-27): The Timberwolves have a number of talented, young players but are going through the rebuilding process with All-Star Kevin Love dealt over the summer to the Cleveland Cavaliers. If prospects like Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Zach LaVine can blossom quickly, Minnesota may not finish all the way at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.