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Lakers Picked to Upset Nuggets by NBA Scout

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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers went from not being guaranteed a playoff spot to being picked to upset the defending champions in less than a week.

Following the Lakers’ Tuesday play-in win over the New Orleans Pelicans, an NBA scout told The Athletic’s Josh Robbins and Sam Amick that the Lakers will defeat the Denver Nuggets in the first round “because they’ve got their mojo going.”

“They played great at the end of the year. They got their lineup set with Rui Hachimura now. Denver’s just not as good (as it was last year),” the scout said.

“I think the Lakers are very dangerous. They’re playing at a very high level. They’re playing with confidence.”

The Lakers have lost eight straight games to the Nuggets, including last season’s conference finals sweep.

James, who had 23 points, nine assists and nine rebounds during Tuesday’s play-in victory, will look to break that streak when Game 1 tips off Saturday in Denver at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Austin Reaves wants D’Angelo Russell to remain with Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has a player option for the 2024-25 season. While he is expected to decline that option in favor of securing a longer-term deal on the free-agent market, Austin Reaves, for one, would like Russell to remain with the team. Reaves discussed his relationship with his fellow guard during a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“I want him to be around,” Reaves said. “That’s probably my best friend on the team. We hang out off the court and golf a lot together. We’re constantly in communication and play Call of Duty together. He’s been one of my closest friends since I’ve been in the NBA. Obviously, his basketball play speaks for itself with how talented he is and what he can do for our group. We need him to be at our best. When he’s playing at his best is when we’re playing at our best. Anything we can do or I can do to help him stay around, I’m definitely going to try to do that.”

Russell has proven to be a reliable third option for the Lakers. He’s averaging 18 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 76 games for head coach Darvin Ham’s team. He is converting his shots at a 45.6% clip from the field and 41.5% from three-point range.

The Lakers face a tough first-round series against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference playoffs. Russell will undoubtedly be key to the Lakers’ offensive game plan. His playmaking and ability to penetrate tough perimeter defenses will be integral. If Russell can prove that he’s capable of sustaining his regular-season production in the playoffs, it will be another reminder to Lakers GM Rob Pelinka that he should be kept around long-term.

Whatever happens with the Lakers this postseason, there will likely be some roster movement in the summer. Pelinka has been active in recent years as the franchise looks to build a contender around LeBron and Davis. Russell has proven he can play a role in that pursuit, but it’s up to the Lakers front office to decide how to move forward after the season – even if Reaves is championing for his friend to stay around.

The 13 Biggest Questions of the NBA’s First Round

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Can the Los Angeles Lakers’ new players make a difference?

We pretty much already know that dominant efforts from LeBron James and Anthony Davis aren’t good enough to topple Denver, a team that swept them last postseason and they haven’t beaten since 2022. (How long ago was that? Russell Westbrook had a triple-double!)

But compared to last year’s roster, the Lakers now have a much more sensible rotation, with Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jaxson Hayes in the mix. There’s a little more size and a lot more shooting.

Since March 1, no team had a higher true shooting percentage and the Lakers’ offensive rating when LeBron and AD shared the court was 120.0, which is far and away the most efficient stretch those two have ever enjoyed together. Almost everyone in Ham’s rotation has shot the crap out of the ball since then, converting at the rim and behind the arc at a rate that’s second to none.

The Nuggets have the best player in the series and lack any major weaknesses, leaving Los Angeles without much hope. But if that heat wave continues, with D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Vincent holding up even a little bit on defense, this series will be more competitive than the 2023 Western Conference finals, when Jarred Vanderbilt killed L.A.’s spacing before Ham benched him in Game 4. This time around, none of L.A.’s offensive possessions will be four-on-five.