Klutch Sports super agent Rich Paul made waves this week as he launched his new podcast Game Over with Max Kellerman, and right out of the gates claimed that Los Angeles Lakers weren’t title contenders. Given that LeBron James is Paul’s friend and most prominent client, that was quite the statement to make, and NBA fans are wondering if it’s his honest opinion, or there’s some ulterior motive.
Advertisement
The Lakers have had a dynamite start to the season. They’re 17-6, good for second in the Western Conference, and tonight they’ll take on the Spurs in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup after sweeping their group with a perfect 4-0 record.
If it was anyone else but LeBron’s agent who said that the Lakers weren’t legit contenders, it might not have made news. There’s still some skepticism about the purple and gold after they were ushered out of last year’s playoffs via a first-round gentleman’s sweep by the Timberwolves.
Though they’ve filled their hole at center with Deandre Ayton, and both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves seem to have taken another big step forward, the Lakers’ middling (at best) defense remains deal breaker.
Kendrick Perkins loves a good zag, and he came out yesterday with a vintage Perk hot take. Disagreeing with Paul, he thinks that the Lakers actually do have what it takes to beat anybody in the NBA … except for the Thunder, who just seem inevitable right now.
“They would beat any team in the Eastern Conference, if they was to meet up with them in the championship in a seven-game series,” Perk said. “The problem is, is that OKC is standing there. Do I think the Lakers could beat Denver in a seven-game series? Absolutely I think they can. Do I think they could beat the Rockets in a seven-game series? Damn right I think they can.”
Perk hit the nail on the head when he called OKC “the measuring stick.” We’ve seen teams like that in recent years that just seem like such overwhelming favorites that everyone else is playing for second place. The Warriors, especially when they had Kevin Durant, come to mind. So do the Big 3 Heat.
Getting through the West is going to be a Herculean task for any team, OKC included. If the Lakers can maintain their standing in the top three of the conference, they’d likely have to go through a team like the Spurs or Timberwolves, followed by the Nuggets or Rockets, followed by the Thunder.
That’s as close to hell as it gets, and then they’d have to beat the best the East has to offer if they somehow survive that gauntlet.
If the Lakers have a healthy LeBron James by time the playoffs roll around, then they could have what it takes to prove Perk right. It would take something special to get past the brilliance of Nikola Jokic or the two-way dominance of the Rockets, but a Luka-Reaves-LeBron three-headed offensive monster has at least a puncher’s chance.
