Thanks to a punitive tax system and an ever-evolving game, competition is rife in the modern NBA. This has led to several teams having a legitimate chance to win a championship each season, a far cry from the days when the most likely NBA Finals contestants were the Golden State Warriors and whatever team LeBron James was on.
Now, optimism surrounds James’s Los Angeles Lakers as they aim to make an impact in the challenging Western Conference, though skepticism remains among observers.
Udonis Haslem Freezes Out Dirk Nowitzki’s Bold Lakers WCF Prediction
Sitting down with his NBA on Prime co-hosts, former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki fielded a question from Zach Lowe about the Los Angeles Lakers’ postseason chances.
“To me, OKC is clearly the favorite to win the West, but we’ll see,” Nowitzki said (h/t Oh No He Didn’t on X). “Maybe (the Lakers) could sneak into the Western Conference Finals. That would be amazing.”
Dirk: “To me OKC is clearly the favorite to win the West but will see. Maybe (the Lakers) sneak in the western conference finals. That would be amazing”
UD: “Hell naw. Hell naw. This is not a knock on the Lakers this is more me talking about how good the Western conference is.… pic.twitter.com/e34MJlMTpZ
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) November 29, 2025
The Thunder, however, have been dominant, cutting through opponents with ease. At 19-1, they hold not only the best record in the Western Conference but in the entire NBA. As reigning champions with the league’s reigning MVP, they remain a formidable obstacle. Consequently, one of LeBron James’s former teammates does not envision Los Angeles reaching the Western Conference Finals this season.
“No,” former Heat standout Udonis Haslem said repeatedly. “(The Lakers) are playing well right now — and kudos to them — but we’re not about to discredit what other guys are doing. Like, do we think the other teams are just going to fall off? This is not a knock on the Lakers; this is more me talking about how good the Western Conference is.”
Of note, the shining moment of Nowitzki’s stellar career was the 2011 NBA playoffs. After taking down Kobe Bryant’s Lakers and Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder, he overcame James’s Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. With that said, Nowitzki not only knows what it takes to win a ring, but he’s also seen that journey through the eyes of an underdog.
With a 14-4 record in 2025-26, Los Angeles isn’t sneaking up on anybody — not when they have James, rising star Austin Reaves, and prodigious playmaker Luka Doncic. In fact, the impetus behind Nowitzki’s desire to see the Lakers reach the 2026 Western Conference Finals is likely his relationship with Doncic, who headlined the most infamous trade in Mavericks history.
Haslem, meanwhile, cautioned that teams will continue to target Doncic and Reaves defensively in the postseason until proven otherwise. He also acknowledged the reality that James, at his age, is no longer the defensive force he once was. Currently, Los Angeles ranks 16th in defensive rating (114.5).
If defense truly wins championships, it may prove to be the Lakers’ Achilles’ heel in their pursuit of a Finals run.
