'An Uphill Battle': Magic Johnson Issues Brutal Reality Check to Lakers Ahead of Thunder Series

“To beat OKC, we have to find a way to not turn the ball over as much as we did against the Rockets and play great on both ends of the floor – so who’s going to step up and provide scoring to help LeBron and Austin?” Johnson added.

“One thing we all know is OKC can score the basketball, so the Lakers are going to have to play some of their best basketball!” Johnson continued.

The shorthanded Lakers are up against a formidable opponent, and there is no saying that even if they bring their top game, they could defeat an elite team like OKC.

The offensive problems that Johnson identified represent the main challenge that L.A. currently needs to solve.

The Lakers must find a replacement to score points because Luka Doncic remains unavailable, while LeBron James and Austin Reaves will lead the team’s scoring efforts.

James, 41, scored 23.2 points per game during the Rockets series. Reaves returned for Game 5, after which he scored 18.5 points per game across two matches.

Both teams faced each other four times during the regular season, and the Thunder swept them 4-0. The Thunder outscored the Lakers by an average margin of 29.3 points per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sends an early warning to the Lakers before Game 1

The Thunder cruised through the first round without much competition. They are now faced with the Lakers without their best player, and it should be another easy series for the defending champions. 

But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not ready to give the Lakers any benefit of being an underdog.

“They’re well-coached. LeBron has been in this situation, this level of games, more than anybody else in the NBA,” he said.

“We don’t take them lightly. To make it this far in the season, you can get beaten by anybody on any given night. We know, going into this matchup, we have to take them seriously. We’ve got to put our best foot forward,” he added.

“That’s what we’ve been focused on all week, getting better, making sure that we are a better team at the end of this week than we were last week. I think we did so.”

Since the Suns series, the Thunder have had a long rest. The Lakers, despite getting enough rest, don’t have the depth to deal with what the Thunder would bring in the next few games.

But again, they have LeBron James, and perhaps it is too early to count them out.