The Los Angeles Lakers enter the 2023 NBA Playoffs as an atypical No. 7 seed. While their record and season stats are that of a lower seed, the context of their season is leading many to believe that they could make noise as a serious contender.
Behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers built out a strong and deep NBA roster at the trade deadline. The Lakers finished their season on a high note, going 18-8 in their final 26 games and going 10-2 in their final 12, including the Play-In Game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Lakers two-time champion and Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom sees good things for the Lakers’ future if James and the entire roster remains healthy, according to TMZ Sports:
“God James. His name is God James. The god of basketball,” Odom said. “As long as we healthy, we’re gonna win a championship.”
James has undoubtedly taken worse teams on deep postseason runs. It could be argued that a majority of the teams he had with the Cleveland Cavaliers had less surrounding talent than the current iteration of the Lakers. This is especially true of the 2007 and 2018 NBA Finals teams that James led.
Odom clearly believes that James is still more than capable of leading a team to the NBA Finals. Of course, more than ever, that statement is health permitting. If James and the Lakers can stay healthy, they have a real shot at upsetting some teams in the postseason.
Davis already had a scare in the team’s first game of the postseason against the Memphis Grizzlies. He suffered a stinger in his arm just before halftime, stating that he couldn’t feel or move his arm. But he was able to return to the game in the second half and help lead L.A. to a victory.
The Lakers will certainly be a fascinating watch throughout the postseason, regardless of how far they go.
Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura take control in Game 1
Game 1 against the Grizzlies belonged to the role players on the Lakers side. While James and Davis played well — with the latter being a game-high plus-27 — it was Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves that led the way.
The two combined for 52 points on 19-for-27 from the field and 8-for-11 from three. They led the way in the second half and gave the Lakers a 1-0 series lead over Memphis with a massive late push in the fourth quarter.
