The Los Angeles Lakers are coming into their first-round series as major underdogs to advance, and some believe they'd be lucky to win more than one game against this team. But for one anonymous league scout, the Lakers are being wrongly overlooked in the series, and he believes they will end up winning it in just six games.
“I’m picking the Lakers because they’ve got their mojo going. They played great at the end of the year. They got their lineup set with Rui Hachimura now. Denver’s just not as good (as it was last year). Yes, they’ll have the home court, which is significant. But they’re just not the same team. This has been said all year: Losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green is going to be important come playoff time," said the scout, via The Athletic's Sam Amick. "They’re relying on young guys, Peyton Watson and Christian Braun. I think the Lakers are very dangerous. They’re playing at a very high level. They’re playing with confidence.”
The Denver Nuggets rolled through the West last year, losing only three games en route to the NBA Finals. With Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon, they had a solid core group of stars and they all returned to try and defend their title this year. Unfortunately, after losing both Bruce Brown and Jeff Green last summer, the Nuggets did get notably thinner in the rotation and they are putting more stock in their young guys than most contenders would.
On the court, while Denver was still good for 57 wins, they look more vulnerable than they did a year ago and there is a growing sense that this series may not play out in the same way it did before. But while a regression from Denver could leave the door open for an upset in the West, it's the talent, depth, and experience of the Lakers that gives them a chance to stay alive.
Los Angeles Lakers Are Embracing The Challenge Ahead
Michael Malone and the Nuggets have not let anyone forget their ongoing win streak against the Lakers. With the number at eight wins and counting, the Nuggets are like kryptonite for LeBron and his crew right now and it will be their biggest challenge of the season to pull out four wins over a seven-game series.
But instead of dreading the matchup of soaking in their self-pity, LeBron James has made it a mission from the start not to let his guys get caught up in the emotions. Despite the current odds and their overwhelming slim chances of success, the Lakers are approaching this series with confidence that they can find answers to compete with the defending champs.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, anything is possible and we've already seen what they can do at full strength. Add in the shooting of D'Angelo Russell and the two-way presence of Rui Hachimura on the wing, and the path to victory may yet be revealed for the Purple and Gold this post-season.
But with so much at stake in this playoff run, the Lakers are determined to do whatever it takes to come out on top and they have not given up hope of making things right and redeeming their playoff defeat from last year.
More must-reads: