The NBA Play-In Tournament is right around the corner, with some prominent market franchises battling to coup the seventh and eighth seed ahead of the playoffs. In the latest ‘Undisputed’ segment, veteran star Paul Pierce joined veteran analyst Skip Bayless and former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson to discuss the possible Play-In picture for the Lakers in the West.
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After facing defeat against the Warriors in their last game, the Lakers might face them or the Sacramento Kings as their matchup in the Play-In tournament. The other team that will also be battling for a seed in the playoffs in this tournament is the Phoenix Suns.
While the prospect of facing both the Kings or the Dubs seems like a challenge, Keyshawn Johnson came up with a wild take on the Lakers and the Suns possibly facing each other in the Western Conference Finals. This take was extremely exasperating for both Bayless and Paul Pierce. Pierce reacted by getting up from his chair and facepalming after hearing Johnson’s opinion. Replying to the NFL star, Pierce said,
“That’s wild…You’re picking two teams off the Play-In to make the Conference Finals?”
Despite the animated reactions of his fellow co-hosts, Johnson seemed pretty much adamant on his take. At this juncture, the Play-In picture seems highly precarious for the Lakers. LeBron James and Co. might have to win two elimination games, including a road game against opponents, such as the Warriors, to qualify for playing in the first round of playoffs against the defending champions Denver Nuggets.
Paul Pierce contends the Lakers are currently facing a nightmare scenario
Looking at the potential Play-In matchups, Pierce claimed that, currently, the Lakers are facing a nightmare scenario in the league. LA might probably face the Kings or the Warriors for their Play-In bracket. However, they have only been 1-7 against the Warriors and the Kings, this season.
Though the Kings seem like a lesser threat than the Warriors, Pierce is worried about the Lakers succumbing to the clutch abilities of several players from the Bay Area, led by the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. If the Lakers indeed went past the Play-In stage, they will be facing the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, for the First Round of the playoffs.
This situation is further dangerous for LA, given they only had a 0-3 record against the Mile High City in the regular season. Furthermore, fans have not forgotten the Lakers’ humiliating defeat against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals last year. The Lakers may need to prepare for all such worst-case scenarios if they hope to continue running deep into the playoffs to conclude this season.
