Lamar Odom believes that LeBron James and his Lakers will not only beat the Grizzlies, but go all the way to an NBA championship this year.
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The Lakers have staged quite a strong comeback to finish the 2022-23 NBA regular season. They were 5 losses below .500 just 9 weeks back, but have finished the season 17-8.
Acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt has bolstered their lineups significantly. While D’Lo has been a capable playmaker and shooter, Malik Beasley spaces the floor well and Vanderbilt is a great hustle guy.
Vanderbilt, in particular, has been their most invaluable addition as he adds much-needed steel to their lineup. The forward will likely take up the Lakers’ toughest perimeter defensive assignments over their playoff run.
With Anthony Davis also rounding out into form of late, the onus is on LeBron James to lead the Lakers. And given his 20 years of excellence, one can safely assume that James is definitely geared up for these big moments.
👀 on this preview of Lakers-Grizz from @forumbluegold. A stat he mentions: Lakers are 18-7 in playoffs when both AD and LeBron play.
They’re also 9-2 when both have played since the trade deadline. LAL outscored opponents by 17.1 points per 100 possessions w/both on court. https://t.co/8wNO6uECyv
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 15, 2023
Lamar Odom calls LeBron James the God of basketball
Lamar Odom last played in an NBA game over a decade ago. The former Sixth man of the Year was a crucial cog with the Lakers as they made 3 straight Finals from 2008-2010.
Odom knows what it takes to win an NBA championship the hard way, having done it twice with Kobe. And the former NBA veteran is reposing the same faith in King James, whom he calls ‘God’.
“God James. His name is God James. The god of basketball,” Odom said. “As long as we healthy, we’re gonna win a championship.”
“God James. His name is God James. The god of basketball.”
– Lamar Odom on LeBron
(Via @TMZ_Sports ) pic.twitter.com/WlCzsoUPV6
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 16, 2023
Odom also believes that Tristan Thompson could turn out to be a valuable addition to this edition of the Lakers. Thompson, incidentally, shares 2 children with Odom’s ex-wife Khloe Kardashian.
What are LeBron’s chances of making the NBA Finals?
It is clear that in terms of pure star power – as well as defense – the Lakers can hang with the best of them. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are likely still the league’s most terrifying duo – especially during the playoffs.
If they are able to muster their best performances together, they should definitely get past the undersized Memphis Grizzlies. The going could get tougher in the 2nd round, when they face either Golden State or Sacramento.
However, their real test will come in the Conference Finals – likely against the Clippers or Suns – should they make it to that stage. Both Kawhi and Kevin Durant have experience of beating James in the playoffs.
A Cinderella run to the NBA championship seems exceedingly unlikely. However, the Lakers still have the 7th-best pre-playoff odds to make it to that stage.
