The Los Angeles Lakers have been surging at the right time. The Purple and Gold have won eight of their last nine games as they look to lock up the third seed in a stacked Western Conference.
While their recent wins over potential title contenders, the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets, were good signs, Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce doesn’t believe the Lakers will make a deeper playoff run.
Paul Pierce Predicts First-Round Exit for Los Angeles Lakers
Speaking on the No Fouls Given podcast, Pierce said he believes the Lakers are headed for a first-round exit if they face the likes of the Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, or the Houston Rockets.
“Like, if they have to play Timberwolves, Nuggets, Rockets. I don’t think they can beat any of these three teams. I don’t think they will make it out of the first round.”
At the time of writing, the Lakers have beaten some quality teams, including the Nuggets, following their thrilling overtime win on Saturday. While the team still needs to work on its defense and maintain consistency on both ends of the floor, it is making statement wins.
On paper, the presence of LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves makes the side a potent offensive threat. With the likes of Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard offering timely bursts of scoring and defense, the Lakers will fancy their chances of getting past any threat in the first round.
On the season front, the Lakers play the Rockets twice next as part of their decisive six-game road trip. The schedule sees them play postseason hopefuls, the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic, along with the East’s top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
The Western Conference standings see the Lakers and Rockets tied in the loss column. While the Lakers hold a 1.5-game advantage over the Timberwolves and Nuggets, the Rockets are one game ahead of both. Should LA add more wins to their tally, they are on track to finish their regular season with 50 wins, as they did in the 2024-25 season.
In the 2025 playoffs, the Lakers’ impressive regular-season efforts were undone by the Timberwolves in the first round. They went down 4-1 to Anthony Edwards and Minnesota. The 2024 postseason was another first-round exit at the hands of the Nuggets.
While the league-wide consensus has been a second-round run at best, the Lakers have been playing like a unit that’s executing game plans to near perfection.
A lot needs to go right for LA if they intend to push for the title this season. It starts with the health of their three superstars and the chemistry that’s finally beginning to show, even if only in odd glimpses. Only time will tell if they can prove Pierce wrong.
