Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed a March Madness of their own. Currently on a 16-2 run as the regular season winds down, they have found momentum at the perfect time.
Amid their success, former Lakers guard and 2018 NBA champion Nick Young analyzed the Western Conference playoff picture and shared a bold prediction for Los Angeles’ path to the finals.
Nick Young Predicts ‘Cakewalk’ Playoff Run for Lakers
Assessing the playoff picture, Young expressed confidence in his former franchise and seemed to dismiss the top seeds standing in the Lakers’ way. A major part of Young’s belief stems from Dončić’s mind-boggling run, coupled with the team’s revamped offensive hierarchy.
In light of the recent string of dominant performances, Young outlined his bracket expectations during the latest edition of ‘Gil’s Arena.’
“First round, it’ll be a cakewalk,” Young declared. “Second round, you play the [San Antonio] Spurs with no experience, cakewalk. Then you play [the] OKC [Thunder], and to me, this year, OKC is a little bit fragile. Their second star is in and out of the rotation, they depend too much on the role players … I feel like the Lakers are clicking at the right time, playing well.”
Under the new setup, Dončić is serving as Los Angeles’ clear-cut lead offensive initiator. This, in turn, has allowed LeBron James to transition into a new, complementary role focused on off-ball movement. This means the 41-year-old can preserve his endurance for the postseason.
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The Lakers also rely on their supporting cast stepping up. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura have settled into their spots, with head coach JJ Redick stating that improved health finally allowed the team to solidify its rotation.
“I think it was a confluence of things, starting with health,” Redick said. “It’s much easier when you have a consistent stretch of health to sort of not even buy in, but settle in to roles, minutes, and rotations. We never found that throughout the season.”
Another factor has been Dončić’s monstrous stretch in March, averaging 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists across 16 games. After Tuesday’s 42-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to score 600 points in March.
The Slovenian also became one of just 10 players to score 600 points in a month.
The offense is on a roll, but the Lakers’ defense still casts doubts.
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The top-seeded Thunder boast a league-best net rating (10.9), while the Spurs rank third in defensive rating (110.1) and possess a significant size advantage in the frontcourt. The Lakers, on the other hand, sit 20th in defensive rating (115.5).
While Young’s argument overlooked the defensive aspect of the game, the Lakers occupy the third seed in the West and have another 50-win regular season under their belt.
With a settled roster, the prospect of a deep postseason run does not seem out of reach for Los Angeles.
