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Los Angeles Lakers: The path to the Finals with 1-16 playoff seeding

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 06: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is guarded by Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Staples Center on March 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 06: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is guarded by Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Staples Center on March 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Round 3: Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs. Toronto Raptors (3)

In the semi-finals to the NBA Championship, the Los Angeles Lakers would be taking on the defending NBA Champions and the third-seed in the 16-team playoff format, the Toronto Raptors.

Toronto will easily get by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs and then would face the winner of the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers. That will be an interesting series, as both the Nuggets and Pacers are teams that are talented enough to beat a top team in the league but are still a piece away from being true title contenders.

Regardless of who comes out of that series, I think they give the Raptors a six-game series in the second round, but a six-game series that was not really ever close. Something where the Raptors take a 2-0 lead, drop a game, win a game, and then drop another to force game six.

Then the defending champions will meet the end of the road against the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Raptors had success against the Lakers in the regular season, I just do not see how they defeat the Lakers in a seven-game playoff series.

They do not have the star power to match up against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which is going to prove to be an even deadlier combo in the playoffs when the games start to slow down.

The Raptors’ best bet is to outshoot the Lakers and while that is certainly possible to do, I can’t see the Raptors winning an entire series solely based on the hope that they can significantly outmatch the Lakers from beyond the arc.

This is perhaps the best semi-finals matchup for the Los Angeles Lakers. Toronto is a solid team, don’t get me wrong, but I would much rather see the Lakers play the Raptors than any of the other teams in the top five.

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