We’ve seen this movie from Hollywood before. Spurred by a roster re-tool at the trade deadline, last year’s Los Angeles Lakers surged in the final two months of the season. The Lakers qualified for the Western Conference playoffs through the play-in, then made an improbable run to the Western Conference Finals before being swept away by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in a series that was far more competitive than 4-0 outcome would indicate.
Fast-forward a year and we’re left wondering if a similar story arch is in store for the Lake Show. The recent three-game winning streak to start the month of February has certainly caught our attention.
The Lakers beat the Boston Celtics — the best team in the league — in Boston without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They were 15.5-point underdogs but controlled the game from start to finish. They followed that up with another upset win at Garden against a Knicks team that had nine games in a row, this time LeBron and AD were on the floor and AD specifically took over the game in the pivotal 4th quarter as a one-man wrecking crew on defense. They closed out the Grammy road trip with a breezy win in Charlotte and now return to Crypto.com Arena to host the… Denver Nuggets Thursday night.
A win over the team that swept them out of the playoffs could further indicate the Lakers, who lest we forget won the inaugural In-Season Tournament, are primed for another late season run.
What should you be betting on this team?
Los Angeles Lakers to win NBA Championship (+1500) — No
The value is not here for a team that is playing its best ball, but still has some major roster issues. The Jared Vanderbilt injury may seem small, but it is far from insignificant. He unlocks their defensive ceiling playing alongside Davis. IF he misses the rest of the season, that is a major blow. The Lakers still feel like they don’t have enough shooting around LeBron. Maybe this changes by the deadline, but right now this roster doesn’t feel like a legit championship contender. I would like to see this price north of +2000 before considering it.
Lakers to win Western Conference (+1200) — Only if you’re a Lakers fan
This price is a bit more appealing. This team did make it to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, and Playoff LeBron should NEVER be discounted. While the Western Conference may seem deep on paper, is it really? The Thunder and Timberwolves have almost zero playoff equity on their resume. Sure, they’re objectively great teams,…
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