Follow us on Google Discover The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most in-form teams in the NBA currently, but not everyone believes they will be able to translate this into wins in the playoffs.
Having won their last six games, the Lakers are sitting at the top of the Western Conference with a 10-2 record, with the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves right behind them.
They are scoring 122.1 points per game, which is the best in the league. Their offensive brilliance is led by superstar guard Luka Doncic, who is averaging 39.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists, while shooting 49.8% from the field and 40.7% from the three-point range.
The Slovenian has been unstoppable and has already scored 50 points twice, which has made him the early favourite to win the MVP award.
The others on the roster are also contributing to the winning, and proof of that is that the team has won both their games without Doncic. Despite the team showing huge improvements since last season, Stephen A. Smith is not sold on them yet.
Stephen A. Smith believes the LA Lakers will get eliminated in the second round
Stephen A. Smith has been very vocal about his feelings regarding the Lakers. He does not believe the three best players on their team are capable of leading the franchise to a championship.
Appearing on The Stephen A. Smith Show, the analyst was taking questions from fans, and one of them asked what he thought about the Lakers.
He replied: “My opinion hasn’t changed about the Los Angeles Lakers. I think the Lakers are a playoff team. I think they’re going to get to the second round of the postseason and then they going to get humbled and they going home.”
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The veteran analyst named several other Western Conference teams as being better than the Lakers, including the OKC Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, both of whom have their stars missing due to injuries.
Smith was not shy to praise Luka Doncic for his performance, but that did not stop him from pumping the brakes on crowning the Lakers as champions.
The only way the Lakers can silence Smith is by beating his beloved New York Knicks. However, this matchup is only going to happen next year. Doncic and his team will have it circled, as it will be the perfect chance for them to prove to Smith and the rest of the league that they are legitimate contenders.
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