(Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in a difficult situation because they will have to play the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament for a chance to advance to the first round of the NBA playoffs, where they’d face the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
If the Lakers lose against the Pelicans on Tuesday, Los Angeles will face the loser of the Golden State Warriors taking on the division-rival Sacramento Kings.
If Los Angeles could not come out on top against one of those divisional opponents, their season is over, but if they come out on top, they’d play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the postseason.
Every single scenario is not in the Lakers’ favor as they struggle against the Nuggets, struggle against the Kings, and can struggle against the Warriors while also potentially being not good enough to hang with a young Thunder squad led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
However, the most likely scenario is they’ll beat New Orleans and face Denver, which James Jones of FOX Sports believes should make LeBron James and company very nervous, via “Speak” on FS1.
“Yes, they absolutely should be nervous, and to be honest with you, we want to be nice, they should be scared,” Jones said.
.@89JonesNTAF believes the Lakers should be nervous about facing the Nuggets in the 1st round. pic.twitter.com/hAjUymvEaR
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) April 15, 2024
At this point in time, even though they are the second seed in the Western Conference, the Nuggets look like the team to beat in the NBA once again.
Jokic appears to be on the verge of winning his third NBA MVP award while the team is firing on all cylinders, which obviously isn’t great news for the Lakers.
The post Analyst Says Lakers Should Be ‘Nervous’ About Potential Playoff Matchup appeared first on The Cold Wire.