NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
People are still amazed at what the Los Angeles Lakers have managed to do during this playoff this season. But why? By all accounts, this Lakers team is not your normal 7th seed. What has ailed the Lakers this season has been health and roster movements. It wasn’t as if this team resembled the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs. They just weren’t clinking early on.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James dealt with injuries and then the NBA Trade Deadline hit which forced Rob Pelinka to make some tough choices. The first order of business was finding the right PG to mesh with his two stars. Out went Russell Westbrook and Pat Beverley and in came former Laker, D’Angelo Russell. With that move, Pelinka was still able to bring in Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards, and from there, the team was changed.
Other moves would come with the trade of Thomas Bryant and adding Mo Bamba but the main concern for the team was clearing the logjam in their backcourt. Once that was accomplished, the Lakers began to show promise. The talk has been regarding their 2-10 start to the season. Not everyone started off strong. Hell, look at the Philadelphia 76ers who also began the season 5-7 before ending it with the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference.
While Laker Nation and analysts are patting the Lakers on the back, truth be told, besides the Boston Celtics, the Lakers are the deepest team in the league. James has not found the Fountain of Youth but he’s not playing like a normal 38-year-old should be. And while Davis is a slip away from sitting out the playoffs, he’s still showing why he was once considered the best PF in the game.
This is not the same Russell that he was with the Brooklyn Nets, or even with the Lakers early on. Russell has provided this team with a steady hand and made things easier for Davis and James. But the real MVP during this run has been the exceptional play of Austin Reaves. Without Reaves, this team is at home watching everyone else.
Despite having to go through the Play-In, was there any doubt the Los Angeles Lakers would not make it through? They were healthy, hungry, and determined. And yet, as they geared up for their first-round matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the naysayers figured this would be their swan song. But once again, why?
Can The Los Angeles Lakers Beat The Denver Nuggets
The Grizzlies were dealing with their own set of issues regarding the absence of key players coupled with on/off the court issues as well. A young team going against a veteran team, the Lakers prevailing was the only possible solution. But they were still viewed as a 7th seed instead of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Grizzlies put up a fight but it wasn’t enough. It was called an upset but was it really? The Los Angeles Lakers were just the better team. Moving on to the second round to face the defending champs, Golden State Warriors, this was viewed as the team who would send the Lakers home, right? Not so fast.
James and Co never saw themselves as a 7th seed. They saw an opportunity to prove to everyone that they were just as good as any team seeded above them. In 6 games, they would send Stephen Curry and his team home wondering how they took the Lakers so lightly. And that right there, is why they aren’t your normal 7th seed.
How can you take a team with James, Davis, and Russell lightly? It’s not about the regular season standings. This team was just trying to survive the first few months of the season until everything fell into place. Just think, if the Lakers began the season with this roster, they would easily have been a top 2 seed in the Western Conference. This is what the rest of the NBA and fans are seeing. They’re finally healthy.
Now, as they get ready to square off against the Denver Nuggets, the storylines will be how a 7th seed can defeat the No. 1 seed when in fact, the Los Angeles Lakers are anything but a true 7th seed.
