The Los Angeles Lakers have clearly turned the season upside down. They were in nowhere near title contention when the season started. Instead, they had a terrible start to the season, losing ten out of the first twelve games. The fans were losing hope because the team had no balance in its roster, and essential players were getting injured. Since last December, Anthony Davis sustained a stress injury in his feet and missed twenty games on the trot. He is still not totally fit.
However, it was AD only who led the resurgence of the Lakers this season. The LA side finished as the 7th seed. But initially, they were lingering at the bottom of the table and, for a long time, stayed in 13th place. However, Davis took care of the defense and offense. As a result, the other players just needed to provide essential support that they have provided, and now, the Lakers are marching on all the way to the 22-23 NBA Finals.
Lakers Are Favorites To Reach The Finals
Now the question is which team might be waiting for the Lakers from the East at the NBA finals. There are a lot of possibilities. Either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat may face off against the Los Angeles Lakers for a final showdown. The Miami Heat are enjoying a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semis like the Lakers are enjoying in the West. If the Heat meets the Lakers at this year’s NBA Finals, it will be the same finalists as in 2020. Hence, the LA side will have the upper hand psychologically. Or it could be Boston Celtics. Apparently, the Celtics are the strongest side in the East, with a 57-25 record. They are the second seed of the Eastern Conference. However, the top-seed Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Heat 1-4 in the first round of the playoffs.
Hence, anybody can win in the playoffs irrespective of their ranking on the current table. Less than a month back, the Lakers were the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They eliminated the second seed of the West, the Memphis Grizzlies. Currently, they have a stronghold in the second round of the playoff series against the defending champions. Hence, the rankings and the seeds won’t matter in the playoffs. Furthermore, the playoffs are a different ball game. So, if the Lakers meet the Heat, it will be another epic clash between the two sides and between LeBron James and Jimmy Butler. However, if it is the Celtics, then the clash would be about who gets to be the first to win 18 championships. Marc Stein and The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi noted that the Lakers have a 4/1 vote to reach the finals for the first time since 2020.
LA Franchise Have An Edge Over The Warriors After Game 4
Currently, the Lakers are leading the second round of the playoffs against the defending champions 3-1. All they need is to win one more game in the series to reach the conference finals.
Apparently, the Lakers will meet either the Nuggets or the Suns if they reach the Conference finals. They would also reach their destination if they win the Western Conference finals.
