Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young recently said that the Lakers would beat the Denver Nuggets in a playoff series.
Famed sports pundit Colin Cowherd seems to agree with Young.
“If they were healthy, I’d pick the Lakers,” Cowherd said. “I don’t trust Denver in the West.”
Cowherd explained that among LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis, James is the best ball-handler and physical presence. The 59-year-old also said that Davis is the best defensive player of the three, while stating that Jokic will win this season’s MVP award.
“Playoff basketball is about being great at stuff,” Cowherd continued. “… It’s not about depth. It’s not about plaques. It’s not about MVPs. The Lakers, when A.D. and LeBron are healthy, they have things they’re great at.”
It’s important to note that the Lakers are dealing with plenty of injuries right now. James is out for at least two weeks with a foot injury, though he thankfully won’t require surgery on it. Davis missed Los Angeles’ game on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a foot injury of his own, while D’Angelo Russell is dealing with an ankle injury.
Russell is set to miss his fourth straight game on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Los Angeles currently sits in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 30-33 record, just one game behind the New Orleans Pelicans in 10th place.
A nice record in Los Angeles’ upcoming five-game home stand would go a long way toward helping it climb the standings. However, that’s easier said than done, as the Lakers are one of the worst teams in the league at home this season with a 15-14 record.
The Lakers’ next two games will be against teams that are also fighting to secure spots in the postseason. As mentioned before, Friday’s contest will be against the Timberwolves, who are in eight place in the West. Sunday’s game will see the Lakers host the Golden State Warriors, who have climbed to fifth place in the West due to their recent three-game winning streak.
The 2022-23 regular season is quickly coming to a close. Only time will tell if the Lakers will be able to do enough to make it to the playoffs and get a shot at the Nuggets.
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