The Los Angeles Lakers, who are led by superstar LeBron James and veteran big man Anthony Davis, finished the regular season by securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They later stunned the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and secured a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing NBA season. The Purple and Gold Army will now face the Golden State Warriors to claim the ultimate final berth.
Being a team that lingered around the 13th place in the West, the Lakers have come a long way. The turnaround began in February after the team’s front office made a season-defining decision to overhaul the starting lineup. It gave birth to a new-look Lakers, which consists of young players like D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Jared Vanderbilt, and Dennis Schroder. From them, the team kept on rising and never looked back. But the bottom line remains that is it really possible for a seventh-seed team to clinch the ultimate title?
NBA Expert Counts Lakers As Favorites For The Win This Year
Despite the team’s relatively low seed, many experts believe that the Lakers are still a formidable squad that can compete with any team in the league. One of those experts is an NBA expert from The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor. He recently expressed his confidence in the Lakers’ championship prospects. Kevin noted that Anthony Davis has been and would be the key that holds the unit together. He has shown glimpses of his 2020 season form and displayed great defensive plays. Moreover, the expert also acknowledged the efforts of the young brigade. He said that ever since the new-look Lakers stepped on the court, they took away James and Davis’ responsibilities and shared them within.
Kevin observed that during Game 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies, LeBron James passed the ball to D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. Hence, taking a backseat from the lead-scoring duties. That displays that the Lakers are no longer dependent on the formidable duo of James and Davis. That also played a crucial role in the purple and gold’s success this season. Of course, the road to a championship won’t be easy for the Lakers. They have to face the mighty Warriors led by the likes of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. However, the team has already set foot in the right direction by securing Game 1. Hence, if all things pan out well, the Lakers might as well script history and become the champions of the 2022-23 NBA season.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis Script History Against The Warriors
The Los Angeles Lakers successfully defeated the Golden State Warriors in the first game of the seven-game playoff series. Anthony Davis, LeBron James, D’Angelo Russell, and Dennis Schroder collectively played a crucial part in the victory. Moreover, the dynamic veteran duo of James and Davis scripted history. As per ESPN Stats & Info, James and Davis are the first set of teammates who have 20-10-5 and three blocks in one playoff game since the blocks were ever introduced in the 1973-74 season.
Certainly, LeBron James and Anthony Davis would enjoy the feat. However, the job is not done yet. They still have six games to defeat the mighty Golden State Warriors. The top team possesses the capability to make a solid comeback on any given day and put the Lakers up against the wall. However, the current momentum sits with the purple and gold, and they would likely capitalize on the same.
