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Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking the potential second-round playoff matchups

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles past Nerlens Noel #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunderduring the first half of a game at Staples Center on November 19, 2019 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 Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles past Nerlens Noel #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunderduring the first half of a game at Staples Center on November 19, 2019 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 Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Ranking the Los Angeles Lakers’ potential second-round matchups: 3. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are the last of these three teams that the Los Angeles Lakers should want to see and it is not even close. While the Lakers are still the better team and would be favored to win this series, this is the worst-case scenario for the Lakers in the second round.

In fact, I would argue that the Lakers should be rooting for the Rockets to be the sixth seed and to beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs to play the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round, as that would present the Clippers with the same situation as it would the Lakers.

The Rockets are just a weird team. They abandoned the center position by trading Clint Capela and run the most unique rotation in the league as they have jumped headfirst into the small-ball movement.

What has resulted is an extremely fast pace of play that has reinvented Russell Westbrook on this team. Westbrook was playing some of the best basketball of his career before the league went on hiatus.

I do think over a seven-game series it will become easier to figure out and the Lakers, who are a great defensive team, will limit the damage. However, the Rockets are a team that are going to wear you down, even in defeat, and could steal games from the Lakers.

This is a series that could be a hard-fought six games that wear the Lakers down for the Western Conference Finals, which is not a good thing. If LeBron or Anthony Davis gets hurt then this is absolutely a second-round matchup that the Lakers could lose.

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